Make Me Whole
by avatar-chik
Summary: Gaara lives alone with his father who abuses him. He has a friend with whom he confides his darkest secrets with. Still, he feels empty. It's almost as if pieces of him were missing. Could he ever be whole? GaaXOC pairing. highschool fic
1. A New School Year and the Journal

**_Alright, so this is kind of a replacement for "A Helping Hand" and I am really pleased about how this is going. I added a little more originality to this one, subtracted some of the drama, added some humor, changed the plot around, gave my OC a makeover and a new name, and PRESTO! I hope you guys like it. It's not really the same as "A Helping Hand", and I personally like this one better. It still has a bit of the original in it, like the fact that Gaara is still a child of abuse. Well, that's enough of my ranting. I hope you all enjoy._**

**_Disclaimer: I'm only gonna say this once. I do not own Naruto and I never will! :(_**

**Chapter 1: The Start of a New School Year and the English Journal**

Gaara stood at his bus stop, looking down at his feet in boredom. The sun was slowly rising over the woods behind him. If only the sun were rising in a different direction, Gaara would be able to clearly see the beautiful sunrise that was hidden by the trees behind him.

Gaara was wearing a pair of black jeans with blood red stitching, and a black colored t-shirt with a dark grey skull printed on the front of it. He kind of wished that he was wearing a jacket as well. It wasn't because he was cold, but because he wanted to hide the nasty bruise on his arm. Since it was a little too warm for a jacket, he would just have to deal with it.

Lying on the ground next to him was his dark red backpack, which was filled with brand new school supplies.

When the bus finally pulled up, Gaara picked up his backpack and slung it over his shoulder. He slowly entered the bus and took a seat next to an enthusiastic blonde. As soon as he sat down, the hyperactive boy began bouncing up and down with excitement. Gaara hissed in pain as the boy accidentally hit his bruise. Naruto immediately stopped and looked at his arm with a frown.

"Did your dad do that, Gaara?" he asked, his voice on the soft side. Gaara closed his eyes and nodded. "I'm really sorry," he apologized. The redhead nodded again, keeping his eyes shut.

"Why are you always so hyper?" Gaara asked. His voice had a naturally soft, melancholy tone. It was sometimes hard to understand what he was saying, especially in big crowds, but Naruto had learned to manage.

"I don't know," Naruto answered truthfully. He grinned at his friend, even though he knew Gaara couldn't see him through closed eyes. "I'm so excited about the musical this year. You're coming to the tech crew meeting after school, right?" Gaara nodded.

"I still can't believe that we're doing Beauty and the Beast," the pale teen groaned. Naruto chuckled and nodded.

"Don't be too disappointed. I heard that it's supposed to be a lot of fun to put on." Gaara just shrugged his shoulders, not really caring. The only reason he did tech crew was so he wouldn't have to go home where his father would be waiting. But it was also a bit of a plus since he liked building and painting the set.

When the bus stopped in front of their school, the two boys got off and went their separate ways. Gaara went to his locker and quickly opened it. He shoved everything into it, except for his pencil bag and the things he would need for his next two classes.

Gaara entered his first period class and sat down in a desk right next to Naruto. The blonde smiled at him and leaned over to talk to him.

"Did you notice?" he asked, giving Gaara a curious look. The red-haired boy just stared blankly at the other teen. Naruto smirked and rolled his eyes. "There's a new student again this year." Gaara still stared at him, not really knowing what he was getting at. The perky teen rolled his eyes at him again just as the bell rang.

The teacher didn't show up until 5 minutes later. He had white hair that kind of stood up like a flame. He wore a shirt that covered the lower half of his mouth and a weird headband that covered his left eye. In the teacher's arms was a stack of composition notebooks.

"I'm sorry I'm late, students," he told them, placing the large pile on his desk. "Let's get started right away. My name is Kakashi Hatake. You can either call me Mr. Hatake or Kakashi-sensei. I won't tolerate anything other than those two names I just mentioned. Now, when I call your name, please come up and grab a notebook." The teacher began calling names in alphabetical order, Naruto being the last person called.

"Why am I always called last?" Naruto grumbled as he sat back down in his chair. "I'm picked last for sports _and_ on role-call!" Gaara just flipped through the blank pages of the journal, tuning out his friend's complaints.

"Alright," Kakashi began. "Your first assignment won't be due until the end of the year. You are to keep a journal. I don't care how often you write, just so long as you have all 200 pages filled up by the end of the year. You can write about whatever you want. Poems, stories, or even what happened that day. I'll even let you draw pictures, just so long as you provide a paragraph with it." Kakashi picked his attendance list back up and quickly skimmed it over. "Now, I'm going to assign you all partners for tomorrow's in-class assignment."

The whole class groaned, which made the teacher smirk behind his shirt. He began reading out the pairings. "Pair number one will be Hinata Hyuuga and Naruto Uzumaki. Pair number two will be Sasuke Uchiha and Layla Koji. Pair number three is Danielle Miyakazi and Gaara Sabaku." He kept continued reading several more pairs off the list before setting the piece of parchment down on his desk.

"I don't really have anything else planned for today," Kakashi told them, rubbing the back of his neck in a sheepish manner. "I suppose that if you all are quiet, you may chat with one another."

Everyone immediately took the man on the offer. Naruto chattered on and on to Gaara about his summer. The redhead just listened, although he only caught about half of what the other boy was saying. Naruto was talking at such a rapid pace that Gaara honestly couldn't see how he wasn't suffocating.

About a half hour quickly went by. Everyone got up from their seats, the crowd bustling out the door. Gaara and Naruto walked out of the class, following the flow of bodies down the hall and to their History class.

"I can't believe I'm paired with Hinata!" Naruto exclaimed, grinning. "We're going to get an "A" for sure!"

"I'm not really sure who my partner is," Gaara sighed. Naruto nodded.

"I didn't recognize her name," Naruto replied, lightly scratching at his cheek as he thought. "She's probably the new kid." Gaara nodded and sat down in his chair.

After History, the two friends went their separate ways again. Gaara headed towards the gymnasium and sat down on the bleachers next to Rock Lee. It seemed as if all the boys were on one side of the bleachers and all the girls were on the other.

"Alright, maggots!" the gym teacher shouted. "I'm Anko, and I am going to be your gym teacher. I am going to each of you a uniform, and assign a locker to and a lock to each of you as well. You are to go back to the locker room and get changed. Once you are done, you are to come out here and start playing one of the activities we have out on the floor. Tomorrow we will be starting flag football outside."

Everyone waited to be called up. Once Gaara's name was called, he walked up to the woman and collected his things. He then went into the locker room and got changed. His regular clothes were neatly folded and placed inside the locker, the lock being latched into place after he was certain everything was in order.

Gaara left the locker room and stood around the gym area, not really knowing what to do.

"Hey, Gaara!" Tenten called. "Would you like to throw a Frisbee around with me?" Gaara looked up at brunette with bored eyes and nodded. Anything was better than standing around and doing nothing.

Tenten and Gaara tossed the disc back and forth for about 10 minutes, keeping it well under control for the first portion. After a few minutes, Tenten started to get creative with her tosses. She would toss it from between her legs, she'd use her non-dominate hand, and she'd throw the disc in such a way that it would ricochet off the ground and towards Gaara. The redhead felt a little insecure that some girl was showing him up just by throwing a Frisbee.

Then, out of nowhere, Tenten threw the disc harder and higher than anticipated. It flew right over top Gaara's outstretched hand and connected with the back of another girl's head. Tenten ran over to the girl, Gaara slowly following behind her.

"I'm sooo sorry!" the older girl apologized. The black haired girl smiled and nodded.

"Don't worry about it," she told replied with a smirk, handing the disc back to Tenten. "No harm done."

The brunette grinned and quickly bowed before taking the Frisbee back and heading over to where Gaara was.

After another twenty minutes of gym, all the students went back into the locker rooms and changed back into the regular clothes. The bell rang a few minutes later and everyone exited the gym.

Several classes went by uneventfully. Before Gaara knew it, he was sitting down in his sixth bell class. It was study hall and, having no homework or books to read, he had no idea what to do with himself.

"Class, I don't care what you do, as long as you're doing something and you're not preventing others from getting their work done," Mrs. Okita told them.

"Can we play hangman on the chalkboard?" one of the female students asked. The teacher nodded. Gaara looked at the girl who had asked the question. He was surprised to find that it was the same girl Tenten had hit in the back of the head with the Frisbee.

"Do you guys want to play?" the girl asked some of the students. A few of them nodded and she grinned. "Okay, I play a weird version, but it works the same way." Gaara watched as she made blank lines on the board.

It was kind of like this:

X X X X X / X X X X X / X X X

"I will give you two hints. Hint number one is that he is an author. Hint number two is that this person had a very twisted and morbid mind."

"Is there an A?" someone asked. She smiled and nodded.

X X X A X / A X X X X / X X X

"Is there an S?" The girl's smirk grew even wider. She drew wavy lines that were supposed to resemble water. Everyone looked at her in confusion.

"Just keep guessing," she told them.

"Does it have a T?" someone asked. The girl wrote "S" and "T" in the wrong letter portion of the board. She then drew little dots in the water.

"Is there an E?"

E X X A X / A X X E X / X X E

About five minutes later, the board looked like this:

E D X A R / A X X E N / X X E

Gaara smirked, thinking that he knew the answer. He was also amused at the death picture the girl had drawn on the board. It was a picture of salt water. Floating on top of the salt water was a leaf. On the leaf was a little snail. Above the snail was a storm.

"All I need to draw is a tidal wave before your snail dies a horrible death!" the pale skinned girl declared, giggling all the while.

"How did you come up with this?" Sakura asked.

"I read it in The Scarlet Letter last year. This little girl named Pearl makes a boat out of a leaf and puts a snail on it. Then she sends the poor snail out to sea where it would inevitably face its doom."

"That's horrible!" Sakura screeched.

"If you think that's horrible, you've seen nothing. The things this person writes about is much more horrible."

The students seemed to debate amongst themselves. Gaara casually stood up and walked towards the board, gazing at the letters through perceptive eyes. The class watched as he picked up the chalk and filled in the blanks.

EDGAR / ALLEN / POE

"Is that right?" he asked, turning to the girl with a slight smirk gracing his lips. She grinned and nodded before erasing the game and going back to her seat. Gaara returned to his seat as well and stared off into space for the remainder of the bell.

After school, Gaara got on the school bus to go home. Once he entered his house, he hurried up to his room and locked the door behind him. He dropped his backpack by the door and took out his journal. Normally, he didn't like English but this assignment sparked his interest. He wrote the date on top of the page and started to draw a picture beneath it. It was a picture of a body with a bunch of holes through it, laying dead on the ground surrounded by blood. Gaara then wrote a description beneath it.

_This is how I feel. I feel this way almost every day. I have a friend now, and it helps a little. Even so, I still have pieces missing. If I knew what was missing, maybe I could plug up the holes, but I don't know what's causing them. Maybe someday, I'll find a way to be whole again._

* * *

**_Authors Note:_**

_**Just to point out to those who might have been confused, those "x"s nearing the end of the story are what the hangman game kind of looked like. I wasn't able to use under scores, so I used X's instead. They are NOT signaling a break in the story. My story break lines look like this: **_**_XOOOOOX Just wanted to clarify for those who were confused._**

**_Well, there's chapter 1. This should set the story up for later. Keep reading because you'll meet the OC in the next chapter! Before I forget, I have to thank someone who has been helping me out with this. Thanks a bunch NeferNeferi!! You've helped me out so much, the least I could do is put a thank you note on this page. _**


	2. Danielle and the Red Dragon

Chapter 02:

**Chapter 02:  
The Next Morning**

Naruto stood leaning up against a locker, a look of annoyance on his face. The warning bell would be ringing any moment now. Naruto didn't want to be late for class, but he couldn't help it.

"What are you doing Uzumaki?" a familiar voice asked. Naruto looked to his right and saw Neji Hyuuga staring at him. Standing next to him was an unfamiliar girl with long black hair. She tilted her head to the side upon seeing him. "You do know that class is going to be starting in a few minutes, right?"

"Of course I do, Neji!" Naruto snapped. He lunged at Neji, but was pulled back to the locker. Neji and his female companion smirked at Naruto's predicament.

"Would you like some help, Naruto?" Neji asked. Naruto nodded and the Hyuuga boy got to work on picking the lock on the locker.

"How'd you get your hood stuck in the locker anyway?" the female asked, giggling. Naruto shrugged.

"I don't know. I was about to leave to go to class and found that I was kind of stuck." The girl put a hand to her mouth as she giggled. "So what's your name?" he asked.

"I'm Danielle Miyakazi. I think I'm in your first bell class." Just then, they heard the locker door open.

"Alright Naruto," Neji sighed. "You're free now." Naruto thanked Neji and turned back to Danielle.

"Do you want to walk to first bell together?" he asked with a grin. Danielle smiled and nodded.

"I'll see you after school, okay Neji?" The Hyuuga nodded and walked away.

"You're Gaara's partner for English, right?" Naruto asked, looking at her with curious eyes.

"I guess," she replied, "I haven't met him before is all I know. Why?" Naruto smiled and shrugged.

"Gaara's a close friend of mine. I can introduce you to him if you want."

"I'd appreciate that."

Danielle followed Naruto into the classroom, just before the tardy bell rang. She followed him over to where a boy with red hair was sitting.

"Hey Gaara!" Naruto chirped. "I wanted to introduce you to Danielle Miyakazi. She is your English partner!" Gaara looked into Danielle's deep blue eyes with boredom. "I'll talk to you guys later. I'm going to go sit with Hinata." With that, the blonde scampered off.

Danielle took a seat in the desk next to him just as the teacher came in through the doorway.

"Alright students, you should all be with your partner. I'm passing out the assignment right now. You and your partner will be choosing an author and then you will have to complete 2 tasks. You will write a short essay about that author, and each of you will read a different book that was written by that author. Make sure that the books you read describe what genre your author writes in."

Gaara and Danielle took a sheet and passed the stack on. The two of them quickly read it over before looking at each other.

"So what kind of books do you like to read?" Danielle asked. Gaara shrugged.

"War books I guess."

"Well, I don't know any war book authors."

"Then pick an author that you know," Gaara sighed. "But it better not be any romance author." Danielle thought for a moment before pulling a piece of notebook paper out. She ripped it into three pieces. She scribbled something on each piece and folded them up. She laid them in front of Gaara on his desk.

"Pick one," she told him. Gaara stared at her for a moment before looking down at the small pieces of paper. He slowly reached out and picked up the piece of the paper in the center. He opened it and looked at what she had written on it.

"Thomas Harris?" he read questioningly. Danielle smirked and nodded.

"Thomas Harris it is. He's more of an adult writer, but he is really good."

"It better not be a romance writer."

"I hate romance books. Sure, I like happy endings, but I hate romance books. I hate soap operas too."

"Have you read any of his books?" Danielle nodded.

"I'm surprised that you haven't. I think he has only written 5 books though."

"So which one are you going to read, and which one should I read?"

"You should read Red Dragon," she told him. He gave her a weird look.

"Sounds stupid," he sighed. Danielle frowned at him.

"Whatever. I was going to give you a brief description, but I think I'll let you find out on you own." Gaara glared at her, but Danielle ignored it. "I will tell you this much though. Make sure that you have enough time to read it in one sitting. I suggest reading it on a Friday night."

"I guess I'll get the book today after school."

"I can let you borrow mine so you don't have to waste your money on it if you end up not liking it." Gaara nodded. "Then I'll give you the book tomorrow." He nodded once more, just as the bell rang.

Danielle and Hinata walked out of the room giggling with one another while Gaara and Naruto walked behind them.

"So which author are you doing?" Naruto asked.

"Thomas Harris," Gaara sighed. Naruto raised an eyebrow at him.

"Who's he?" Gaara shrugged.

"Who are you and Hinata doing?"

"Hemingway. I forget what his first name is. All I know is that he was probably insane and he ended up committing suicide." Gaara nodded. "Hinata told me that I should read this book called Old Man and the Sea. She said that it was an easy read and that it had big print, and that's good enough for me!" The two of them entered their second period class and sat down.

"How do you like Danielle?" Naruto asked, smirking. Gaara shrugged.

"She doesn't seem to be a bitch," Gaara told him. Naruto rolled his eyes the red-haired boy.

"Danielle is Hinata's next door neighbor, so they hung out over the summer."

"Naruto, you need to listen very closely to what I'm about to say." Naruto grinned and nodded.

"Alright, I'm listening."

"Unless you intend to ask Hinata out, you need to quit obsessing over her." Naruto blinked a few times, his face turning a light shade of red. Naruto turned away and looked down at the ground.

"Sorry," he apologized softly. Gaara nodded.

**XOOOOOOX**

At lunch, Danielle and Hinata sat with Naruto and Gaara. Naruto jabbered on and on, not really giving anyone else the chance to talk. Danielle silently ate her lunch and stared off into space. She didn't really listen to Naruto, knowing she wasn't really missing anything.

Gaara caught himself staring at Danielle several times during their lunch period. Each time, he would quickly shake his head and look away. And each time, his eyes would wander back over to Danielle. He was disgusted with himself, nonetheless.

After school, he went straight home, and then he went straight up to his room. He almost always locked his door, fearing that his father would just barge in and beat him. He hadn't really done it before, but that didn't mean that he wouldn't. He took out his English notebook and wrote.

_I met Danielle today. She seems like every other female I've laid eyes on. We're supposed to read a book by some author. I let her choose. I probably shouldn't have, because now I'm probably going to have to read some sappy romance book. She's bringing a book called __Red Dragon__ by Thomas Harris. If it's a sappy romance book, I swear that I will burn it._

* * *

**_So how did you guys like this chapter? Do you all like Danielle? I know I didn't give her a japanese name or anything, but that's okay. I think that makes her a bit more original, on account of most stories have the OC with a japanese name. This story is going to continue to grow and the plot-line is going to continue on with little twists and turns, which is what I love doing. After reading over the chapters that I have already written, I noticed that it had similarities of both "Letters From a Forgotten Friend" and "A Helping Hand". If you liked those two stories, then I don't see why you wouldn't like this one. _**

**_Alright, here's an update on everything that has been going on with my stories._**

**_I will post the next chapter of this story on Wednesday, March 26th._**

**_I will post the next chapter to "Letting the Light In" as soon as my laptop gets back from the shop. I had the chapter typed up and ready to post on the date that I had set for myself, but then my laptop was taken to the shop and I didn't make a back up copy. It sucks!_**

**_I have no idea how long it will take before I post the next chapter of "A Helping Hand". I'm putting most of my time into this story right now._**

**_Well, please review!! I'd love to hear your comments, that way I can make the story more likeable or keep doing something that you all like. So R&R!! C-ya!! _**

**_Look for the next chapter on March 26th, Wednesday!!_**


	3. Finising the English Project

The next day, Danielle met Gaara at his desk and dropped the book down in front of him. Gaara stared at it for a few moments before picking it up and reading the back cover.

"No romance?" he asked. Danielle shook her head.

"No Gaara," she sighed. "There's no romance." He set the book back down and watched as Danielle sat down in the desk beside him.

"You look out of it," Danielle commented. Gaara sighed and nodded.

"Didn't get much sleep last night." Danielle nodded in understanding.

"I know what that's like. I hate it."

**XOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOX**

At the end of the day, Danielle walked to the back of the school and out to the parking lot. She walked over to the car that Hinata was waiting next to and stood next to her.

"How was your day Hinata?" Danielle asked, smiling sweetly. Hinata smiled and looked up at Danielle with nervous eyes.

"F-Fine," she answered. "W-what about y-y-yours?" Danielle shrugged.

"It was alright I guess. It was boring, just like it's supposed to be." Hinata giggled. "Where's Neji?"

"I-I-I'm n-not sure." Danielle smirked.

"I bet I know," Danielle snickered. Hinata gave her a questioning look. "I but he's off somewhere with TenTen." Hinata brought a hand to her mouth and giggled.

"I was not!" Danielle looked behind her and smiled slyly when she saw Neji.

"Then where were you?"

"I was in the library," he answered, taking out his car keys.

"And what were you doing in the library?" Neji frowned at her.

"That is none of your business." Danielle and Hinata looked at each other and started giggling. "Just get in the car," he sighed. The two girls got into the back seat and started talking to each other. Danielle did most of the talking, although Hinata said a few things.

"D-D-Do you want t-t-to stay and d-do homework t-t-together?" Hinata asked.

"I'd love to!" Danielle chirped. Neji heaved a sigh.

"What's wrong Neji? Are you afraid of me or something?"

"Yes Danielle," Neji answered teasingly. "I'm terrified of you."

"Which is one of the main reasons I love coming over to your house. It's just so much fun to torture you."

**XOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOX**

The next day, Danielle spotted Gaara sitting with his head down on the desk. She smirked to herself and took a seat at the desk beside him. With a sly grin her face, she reached out and tapped him on the shoulder. Moaning softly, he lifted his head and looked up at Danielle with sleepy eyes.

"You didn't get much sleep last night, did you?" Gaara shook his head, which made Danielle's smirk grow even wider. "You read that book last night, didn't you?" Gaara sighed and nodded.

"You were right," he told her softly. "I couldn't put it down." Danielle giggled at him.

"I warned you." Gaara shrugged and put his head back down on the desk. "Since we both read our books, do you want to get together tomorrow and get the third part of the paper done?"

"We can't do it at my place," Gaara told her, not moving his head from its current position. "My father doesn't really like me bringing people home."

"Then we can do it at my place. Will your parents mind if you ride with Neji Hyuuga? He got his license last year and he's a pretty decent driver, but some parents don't like newer people to drive their kid home."

"I just live with my father. He couldn't care less about I do." Danielle nodded.

"Alright, then I will meet you at your locker tomorrow."

**XOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOX**

**THE NEXT DAY**

Gaara waited by his locker after school had ended. He didn't have to wait long before Danielle showed up.

"Are you ready to go?" Gaara nodded and followed Danielle out into the school parking lot.

"Hey Neji!" Danielle chirped as she approached his car. The long haired boy looked at her with amusement. "Neji, this is Gaara. We're going to be working on a project together at my house." Neji chuckled to himself and got into the driver seat of the car. Gaara stared at Danielle for a moment with boredom in his eyes. She looked at him with a smirk and got into the back seat of the car. Following her actions, Gaara walked over to the opposite side and got in.

Gaara was silent the entire ride. Danielle happily chatted with Hinata, occasionally directing a few snide remarks to Neji.

After about 5 minutes, Neji finally pulled into a driveway. The four teens then got out of the car.

"Thanks for the ride Neji." Neji nodded at Danielle and followed Hinata to the walkway. Danielle motioned for Gaara to follow as she cut across her own yard. She pulled a house key out of her pocket and unlocked the front door. Gaara followed Danielle inside and watched as she shut the front door behind them.

"Do you want something to eat or drink before we get to work?" she asked, slowly walking backward down the hallway. Gaara simply shook his head. "Alright, then we can just head up to my room." Danielle spun around on her heel and led Gaara up some stairs, down a small hallway, and into her room.

Danielle's room wasn't at all what he expected from her. Her room was a dark blue-purple color. There were periwinkle blue dots and squiggles painted all over the walls as well, giving it a more mysterious look. Gaara thought that it fit Danielle's personality quite well. The furniture in her room was a smoky gray color and the sheets on her bed and her curtains were a soft purple color, almost lavender. Hanging up on the walls were framed paintings and drawings of fairies and dragons. Each one appeared to be hand drawn on a white sheet of paper.

"Did you draw those?" Gaara asked, looking at the paintings that hung all over the room. Danielle giggled and shook her head.

"No, I didn't draw them. I wrote out the descriptions for them and my aunt showed them to one of her friends. She liked some of the ideas and drew them for me." Gaara nodded. "Why don't you sit down?" she suggested, motioning towards the chair that sat in front of a desk. Gaara sighed, sat down on the wooden chair and dropped his backpack to the ground. He watched as Danielle quickly left the room. She returned a couple of moments later with a chair and pulled it up beside Gaara. She turned on the computer, which was on the desk in front of them. She also took out some papers from one of the desk drawers and handed them to Gaara.

"Let's get started!" Danielle suggested happily. Gaara nodded and began reading the papers that he had just been handed.

**xooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooox**

The two teens worked on their research project for a little over two hours, finishing everything that needed to be done. The two of them proof-read their essay one last time before finding it satisfactory and printing it out.

Both of their heads jerked up at the sound of someone knocking. Danielle's door slowly opened and a female stood in the doorway, a smile on her face.

"Danielle, dinner is done," she told her.

"Gaara," Danielle began, "This is my aunt Layla. Auntie, this is Gaara. He's my partner for that English project I told you about." The woman grinned at him and nodded.

"It's nice to meet you Gaara. Would you like to stay for pizza?" Gaara looked over at Danielle with uncertainty. She smirked at him, giggling softly.

"You might as well say yes," she told him, "unless you have something else planned." Gaara stared at her with blank eyes for a few moments before nodding.

"Great!" Layla chirped. "I can give you a ride home after dinner, if you want me to." Gaara nodded again, knowing that he would need one. It would take him over 30 minutes to walk home, and there was no way that his father would ever give him a ride.

"She seems nice," Gaara said quietly after Layla had left them alone.

"Yeah," Danielle sighed. "I don't know what I would do without her." Danielle stood up abruptly and looked down at Gaara with a grin. "Come on. Let's go eat before the pizza gets cold." Gaara smirked and stood up, following her out of the room.

**xooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooox**

_**Danielle's Journal Entry**_

_September 7th, Wednesday_

_Gaara came over my house today so that we could work on our project. We finished it in about 2 hours. I think we're going to get a really good grade on it. Gaara doesn't really talk much, which really didn't help with brain storming. He's really good at proof-reading though. When we finished, Gaara stayed over for pizza. He didn't really say much, which didn't really surprise me at all. After dinner, I went with my aunt to drop him off at his house. When I walked him to his door, he seemed kind of jumpy. I wonder if it was just me, or if he is embarrassed about his father seeing me with him. It's all kind of weird if you ask me._

* * *

**_I hope that you all like the story. Please review! It would make me feel so happy._**

**_I would like to give a special thanks to my three reviewers: Hitorimono, Lyris88, and Naomi-rox! I would like to give a special-special thanks to the wonderful person who is being my beta-reader, NeferNeferi. I hope your studying is going well and that you do great on your chemistry exam._**

**_So please review! The next chapter will be posted up on Saturday, March 29th. I'll post it up on Friday if I can get at least 5 reviews. See ya then! _**

**_WOOT!!_**


	4. Bowling with the Gang

Danielle took a few things from her locker and shoved them into her backpack.

"Hey Danielle!" Naruto greeted cheerfully. The black-haired girl looked up and grinned at him as she zipped her backpack up. She slowly lifted it to her shoulders and stood up.

"What's up?" she asked, shutting her locker door.

"I just wanted to ask you a question." Danielle giggled and nodded.

"Okay, but you better hurry it up. I need to meet up with Neji, since he's my ticket home."

"Gaara, Sakura, Sasuke, and I usually do something on a Friday night," he began to explain. "Tonight we're going bowling and we wanted to know if you would join us. I don't know if you know Sakura and Sasuke yet, but I can introduce them if you don't."

"Sounds like fun! What time?"

"Sasuke's older brother will be picking us up around 7. We just need to know what your street address is."

"Do you know where Hinata Hyuuga lives?" she asked. Naruto smiled and nodded. "I live on the house to the right of hers."

"Alright. I guess we'll see you then!" Danielle grinned and nodded.

She turned away from Naruto and walked happily down the hallway. She was happy nonetheless. She could safely say that Naruto was her friend. She wasn't really sure about what Gaara thought of her, but she considered him to be a friend as well. On top of that, she was going to meet two more people.

_"I'm so glad that I moved in with my aunt," _Danielle thought to herself. _"It's so different here, but I really like it. I'm happy."_

**xooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooox**

Danielle quickly got dressed in her outfit and looked at herself in the mirror. She was wearing a red, black, and white plaid mini skirt, black leggings under her skirt, black and white tennis shoes, and a black t-shirt with a white bunny printed on the front of it.

Satisfied with what she was wearing, she grabbed her brush off of her dresser and ran it through her raven-colored hair. She then proceeded in putting her hair up into a messy bun, using a ponytail holder and some bobby-pins to keep it in place. Just as she was finishing, she heard her aunt call her name.

"Danni! Your friends just pulled into the driveway!" Danielle giggled and smiled to herself.

"Friends," she sighed to herself. "I love the way that word sounds." Danielle grabbed her purse and her jacket before leaving her room. She skipped down the stairs and past her aunt.

"I'll see you later!" Danielle called out as she dashed out of the house. She ran out to the car where she met with the hyperactive blonde. They grinned at each other for a moment before piling inside.

"It's going to be kind of squished, but at least it won't be for long," Naruto informed her. Danielle smiled, looking at the red-head sitting next to her. He looked extremely uncomfortable, which she somehow expected.

"Are you okay Gaara?" she asked, a bit concerned for her friend.

"Hnn…," was the only answer he gave her. Danielle stared at him for a moment before looking past him and at a girl with pink hair. The girl looked right back at her and smiled.

"You're Danielle, right?" she asked. The raven-haired girl nodded and smiled shyly. "It's nice to finally meet you in person. Naruto wouldn't shut up about the fact that you were coming along." Danielle blushed a little and giggled. "My name is Sakura by the way. The one up front is Sasuke." Upon hearing his name, the boy in the front seat looked back at Danielle and gave her a nod of acknowledgment.

"That's my brother, Itachi," Sasuke told her, his voice dripping with malice. Itachi chuckled at his younger brother and flicked him in the forehead.

"You better change that tone of voice, little brother," he snickered. "You're lucky that I even agreed to drive you and your little friends around." Sasuke glared at him, rubbing his forehead with the palm of his hand.

After about 5 or 10 minutes, Itachi pulled into the parking lot and the 5 anxious teens piled out of the car.

"You guys have a ride home, right?" Itachi asked. Naruto grinned and nodded.

"Iruka said that he could pick us up," he informed him. Itachi nodded and drove off.

The teenagers slowly walked into the building and waited in line. Each one of them chipped in some money to play a game. They all received their shoes, picked out a bowling ball, and headed over to the lane they would be playing in. While everyone else got their things together, Sakura set up the score board. The order was: Sasuke, Naruto Gaara, Sakura, and Danielle.

"Have you ever been bowling before?" Naruto asked as Sasuke took his turn. Danielle smiled and nodded.

"I have, but only a couple of times. I stink though."

"You can't be that bad," Naruto chuckled.

"I've never hit a single pin out of all the times I have played." Naruto stared at her with wide eyes.

"Never?!" he asked in surprise. Danielle shook her head. "And I thought I was the worst player ever." Danielle shrugged.

"I guess you're not."

Danielle took her turns, getting a gutter-ball each time. None of them could understand how she could get so many gutter-balls. Each time she went, Sasuke's frustration kept growing more and more. On the 7th turn, he couldn't stand it any longer. Sighing with frustration, he got up and walked over to her.

"Let me give you a hand," he sighed. Danielle looked at him in shock, but nodded. Sasuke started giving her tips and moved her to the side a little bit. Naruto watched with interest as Sakura glared daggers at the new girl. What surprised him the most was that Gaara was glaring daggers at Sasuke.

_"What has him so upset?" _he silently asked himself. _"It couldn't be that Gaara has a crush on her, could it?"_

After a couple of moments, Sasuke stepped back and watched Danielle take her turn. This time, when she rolled ball, she actually knocked one of the pins over. Upon this amazing feat, the new girl jumped up and down, squealing with joy.

"I hit one!" she exclaimed happily.

"It's a new record!" Naruto laughed, grinning at her.

"I know! Isn't it amazing!?" Gaara smirked at her, amused at how excited she was over something so insignificant. Still, it seemed to mean a lot to her.

**xooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooox**

Danielle quietly entered her house at 10:15 and headed upstairs. She knocked softly on her aunt's door and entered her room.

"I'm home!" she chirped. Her aunt raised her head from the book she was reading and smiled at Danielle.

"Did you have fun?" she asked. Danielle grinned and nodded.

"I actually knocked a pin down!" Layla raised an eyebrow and smirked.

"That's a first." Danielle giggled and nodded.

"I know. Well, I'm going to bed. I have tech crew in the morning and I don't want to be too tired."

"Goodnight."

Danielle shut her aunt's door and scampered off to her own room. The first thing she did was take her journal out of her backpack. She sat down at her desk and began writing.

_September 7th, Friday_

_Tonight I went out with actual friends! I've never really had friends before, since my parents and I never really stayed in a place for too long._

_We went bowling tonight and Sasuke helped me so that I knocked down my first pin ever! It was so exciting! I bet my parents would be proud of how well I'm doing, that is, if they were still alive._

_DANIELLE MIYAKAZI_

**xooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooox**

Gaara quietly entered his home, trying hard not to disturb his father. His dad was usually asleep or out cold by this time, but there were some nights where he was wide awake. He hoped that this wasn't one of those. He really didn't feel like fighting his dad.

Gaara silently made his way through the pitch black house. He went up the stairs and into his room, shutting and locking the door like he always did. He turned his light on and glanced around the room. His gaze fell upon the journal that was lying on his desk. Taking a seat in front of the desk, he opened up the book and began to write.

_**September 7th, Friday**_

_**DO NOT READ!!**_

_**I went bowling with Naruto and his two friends, Sakura and Sasuke. Danielle tagged along as well. It was fun, I guess. Danielle is a lot like Naruto, in the fact that she is always happy and smiling and hyper. Still, it's somewhat entertaining, but she's still weird. She's so weird that she makes me feel weird whenever I'm around her. I don't like it, but I don't want it to go away either. This is just too confusing!**_

_**GAARA**_

* * *

**_Alright, so this was one review short of the 5 I had originally wanted, but I decided to be nice and post it up today anyway. The main reason I'm being so nice is because I am slightly ahead in my writing, so I figured that I could let it slide this time. _**

**_I will post the next chapter when the review counter thing reaches 12 and not until then. So, the sooner you want me to post, the more you should review._**

**_A special thank you to NeferNeferi for being my Beta Reader and for helping me out all this time. You still rock!_**

**_A thank you to all my wonderful reviewers:_**

_**Kina Lupi - **thank you!_

_**Sarimia-** Thanks! I'm glad you liked the journal entries. I like adding stuff like that in, so this story gives me the chance to do that._

_**NeferNeferi-** I'm happy to hear that you are curious about Temari and Kankurou. I won't say when, but I will say that they do make a small appearance in the story at some point._

_**twilight-yuna17-** thanks!_

**_So, I'll post chapter 5 once the review counter hits 12 you please REVIEW!! Until then, C-Ya!_**


	5. Tech Crew Begins!

Gaara stood, leaning up against the back wall of the PAC (Performing Arts Center). His arms were casually folded across his chest and his face had an expression of extreme boredom written all over it. Gaara watched as several people began to enter and sign up for certain jobs. After a while, he closed his eyes.

"Are you actually trying to sleep while standing up?" Gaara slowly opened his eyes and looked up at the grinning blonde that was standing in front of him.

"Why do you have to be such a morning person?" Gaara grumbled. Naruto chuckled and shook his head.

"I'm not, normally," he replied, "But I had a little bit of coffee this morning and that woke me right up." Gaara raised an eyebrow at his friend, giving him a curious look.

"Are you serious?" Naruto grinned and nodded happily. "Then you had better try and refrain from doing anything excessively annoying. That is, unless you want to die this early in the day." Naruto rolled his eyes at the red-head and watched as more people arrived.

"Hey look! Danielle is here!" The anxious blonde called out for the girl and motioned her to come over. Danielle smiled and put up her index finger, signaling for Naruto to wait a minute. Naruto watched as she went over to the sign-up list and wrote her name down for some of the positions. When she finished, she walked over to Gaara and Naruto.

"So what did you sign up for?" Naruto asked. Danielle giggled at the blonde's enthusiasm before answering.

"What did you eat today Naruto?" she asked curiously, "you seem a little bit jumpier than usual."

"He had coffee," Gaara sighed.

"Yep! That would do it!"

"So what did you sign up for?" Naruto asked again.

"I signed up for the painting team, the lighting crew, and the sound board. What about you guys?"

"Construction and backstage," Naruto beamed proudly.

"They let you around machinery and power tools?" Danielle asked teasingly, raising an eyebrow at him. Naruto frowned and narrowed his eyes at her. Danielle smiled innocently and Gaara smirked. "So what are you doing?" she asked, directing the question to Gaara. Gaara sighed, but answered.

"Painting, construction, design, and backstage."

"That will definitely keep you busy." Gaara nodded. "Are Sasuke and Sakura doing this too?" Naruto nodded.

"They couldn't come this morning. Sasuke just couldn't make it and Sakura is at her dad's house."

"Oh, well, what do they do?"

"Sasuke does the lighting and Sakura is in charge of costumes and makeup, so she won't be coming to tech for a while. She does most of the stuff at her house on the sewing machine."

The three teens fell silent for a few minutes before Naruto spoke again.

"I hate the silence," he sighed. "Do you guys want to do something tonight?" he asked. Danielle shook her head.

"I can't," she told him sadly. "I have plans already." Naruto nodded in understanding and smiled.

"Then we can just do something again on Friday."

"I'd really like that."

**xoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooox**

After the tech crew, Danielle stood next to Gaara while they were waiting for their rides. Gaara was getting a ride from Naruto, but the blonde was goofing around somewhere.

"So, about next week's presentation," Danielle began, "do you want me to present it?" Gaara looked at her with emotionless eyes and nodded. "I figured as much. Have you always been this quiet?"

"Why do you want to know?" he asked coldly. Danielle shrugged.

"I was just wondering. I've always been kind of social, but some people aren't always that way."

"I've never really been a social person," Gaara told her softly. Danielle nodded and smiled softly. "And because of that, I don't really have many friends."

"I'm the same way," Danielle sighed. Gaara raised an eyebrow at her, a little confused. "Before I moved in with my aunt, I never really had the chance to make any friends. We moved around a lot, so we were never in one place for very long. I also didn't go to a public school."

"So you went to a private school then?" She shook her head.

"I was home schooled, so I didn't get the chance to meet other people my age. That's okay though."

Just then, a car pulled up and beeped the horn once. Danielle looked up and grinned.

"That's my aunt," she told him. "Hey, do you have a cell phone?" Gaara nodded. "Cool, can I have your number?" Gaara nodded again and the two teens took out their phones. The two of them quickly exchanged numbers before flipping their phones shut and putting them away.

"I'll text you later," she told him. Gaara watched as she walked away and got into her car. She waved from the window as the car drove past him. He just stared at the spot where she had been standing next to him. He jerked his head up when he felt someone tapping his shoulder. Naruto gave him a confused look.

"Are you alright Gaara?"

"I'm fine," Gaara sighed.

"Then let's go. Iruka is here."

**xoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooox**

_**September 8th, Saturday**_

_**DO NOT READ!!**_

_**I'm so confused. I saw Danielle at tech crew again. I had the same feeling I have every time I am around her. What is wrong with me? I found out a little bit more about Danielle as well. She doesn't have many friends either. I thought that it was just because she was in a new place, but that wasn't the case. She, apparently, didn't have any friends before moving here either. She moved around a lot and was home schooled.**_

_**Danielle keeps talking to me. Does she think of me as her friend? Could we become friends? Why do I even want to be friends with her? Fuck, this is driving me crazy!**_

_**GAARA**_

**xoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooox**

_September 8th, Saturday_

_I went to tech crew this morning. I signed up to be on the painting crew and to help with the sound board or with the lighting crew. I figured that they would put me on whichever one needed the most help. After the tech meeting, I had two hours of rehearsal for the youth orchestra._

_I found out a tiny bit more about Gaara. I already knew that he wasn't a very social person, but he had apparently always been that way. Because of that, he doesn't have many friends. I have never really had any friends either, so I can kind of understand how that feels. It wasn't easy. I would always ask my parents why I couldn't make any friends, and they never really gave me a definite answer. Now, I have a couple of friends and now I can't believe that I had been alone for so long. It's comforting to know that I have other people I can turn to and that I can hang out with._

_DANIELLE MIYAKAZI _

* * *

**_As promised, here is the next chapter. I was quite please with all the reviews I got so I made sure that I updated this morning. You all are amazing!! Now let's see if you can be equally amazing and get this up to 20 reviews, because that is when I will post the next chapter! I'm sure you are going to want to read the next one as well and this is because you get to find out a little bit more about the mysterious Danielle. WOOT!_**

**_As always, a special thanks to NeferNeferi for being an awesome Beta Reader. _**

**_Thank you to all of my wonderful reviewers:_**

_**Lyris88-** Ha! Yeah, his father really does deserve to die a most horrible death. I'll keep that in mind for upcoming chapters. ;) I based the bowling experience off of my own. I'm not as bad, but I figured that if you have never knocked a single pin down in your entire life span, you would be extremely happy the first time that you did._

_**Chii-** Yay! Thank you anonymous reviewer Chii! I'm glad you think it's light and fluffy. That's one of the reasons I like it a bit more than my other high school fic. It's not as dark and sinister with horrible things happening at every corner. I mean there are a few, but there a bit more happier moments._

_**Lynn-** Yay! Another anon. reviewer! Thanks a bunch. I hope that you enjoyed this installment as well._

_**Sarimia-** I know, and he doesn't even know why he's jealous. The poor thing. I'm kind of mean to him aren't I? Oh well. Thanks for the tip. I'm keeping it to where he has this unknown feeling for her, and it will stay that way for quite a while._

_**NeferNeferi-** I know! I just love seeing Gaara pissed off at Sasuke, so I used this as an opportunity to make do that. I love working with you too. It's so much fun! Got the chapters back this morning and I'm super excited! I definitely helped me wake up._

_**I love hearing all of your opinions. So, I'll post the next chapter when the review counter thing gets to 20. So if you want another quick post, REVIEW!!**_

**_Also in other news, I have mentioned that I am working on a Naruto fic that will be centered around Naruto. I have 2 sections of it done so far and I am slowly getting the third one done. My first priorities are this story and "Letting the Light In". Anyway, the Naruto centered fic is going to be an angst/hurt/comfort type of thing. It will be about Naruto trying to recover after Sasuke's death. I'd love to hear what you guys think about this idea. Because I am such a Gaara fanatic, he will have a small appearance in this as well, but it will mostly be centered around Naruto and Sasuke._**

**_REVIEW!! Thanks a bunch!_**


	6. A Closer Look

October 1st, Monday

_October 1st, Monday_

_Kakashi-sensei has given us an assignment to put inside of our journals. He said that he would do this every now and then to ensure that he has something to read when we turn them in. I guess he doesn't want all of our journal entries to have "Do not Read" at the top of the page._

_Anyway, this assignment is kind of hard for me to write about. We're supposed to write about our parents. Well, I will do my best._

_My mother's name was Erin and my father's name was Cody. They were both musicians, which is how they met. My mother played the cello and my father played the percussion and a little bit of piano. They were both part of an orchestra that did a lot of traveling, so we never stayed in one place for very long. I loved my parents, but I never really knew them very well. They were always gone or practicing their music. They just didn't have the time for me. The only moment I really got to spend time with them was when they wanted to hear what I learned from cello and/or piano lessons._

_I don't live with my parents anymore. It's kind of hard to when they're dead. It happened a little less than a year ago. They died in a car crash. Some drunk driver hit the car head on while driving on the expressway. Their car caught on fire and they supposedly died instantaneously in an explosion._

_I'm not really that sad anymore. I hated the way I was living. I loved my parents and all, and I was sad for a long time, but there are just some things that you have to put behind you and keep going. Besides, I believe a part of them is living on within me._

_Right now, I am living with Auntie Layla. She is my mother's younger sister. She took a completely different path than my mother did. She went to college, then to med school, and eventually became a doctor. Like my parents, she is gone a lot, but she has days where she is off. I have a big bond with her and I don't think I could've gotten through all of this change without her. Over the summer, I stayed at the hospital a lot with her and got to know some of her colleagues. I love my aunt Layla, and sometimes I feel bad for intruding on her like this. She wasn't expecting anything like this to ever happen. She is always telling me that everything is fine, but I still can't help but feel a little bad._

_DANIELLE MIYAKAZI_

**xoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooox**

_**October 1st, Monday**_

_**You think Kakashi could have picked a better topic for us to write about. I don't really have anything to say about my parents, but I guess I have to if I don't want to get points deducted.**_

_**My mother's name was Karura. She died giving birth to me, so I grew up without a mother. My father's name I don't even dare mention. I hate him, and I really don't care who knows. He already knows it himself, and he could care less. He hates me too, so the feeling is mutual. As soon as I turn 18, I am leaving his ass. After that, I want nothing to do with him.**_

_**GAARA**_

**xoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooox**

_October 31st, Wednesday_

_Kakashi told us to write about our most memorable Halloween. Well, I have only done something for Halloween once in my life. I was probably about 6 at the time. I was with my parents at one of their rehearsals. I hung out with the orchestra during their break and they started asking me what I was going to be for Halloween, which was a few days away. I told them that I never did Halloween before, so I didn't know. The next day, my mom and one of her friends took me shopping for a costume that I could wear on that night. I remember being Snow White and being very excited about wearing my pretty, sparkly yellow dress. I wore the costume to their rehearsal that night and after they finished, they all gave me candy and junk. It was kind of like trick-or-treating, but without all the walking and knocking on strangers' doors._

_DANIELLE MIYAKAZI_

**xoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooox**

_**October 31st, Wednesday**_

_**I can only remember one Halloween experience that I had that was somewhat enjoyable. I must have been 5 or a little younger. My uncle Yashamaru took my older siblings and me out for trick-or-treating. My older brother Kankurou was dressed up as Batman and my older sister Temari was dressed up as a zombie cheerleader. Her pompoms were like deadly weapons, and she used them on my brother and me quite often. My uncle had convinced me to dress up in a panda bear costume. I still have the picture he took, since it was one of my more pleasant memories, but I have never shown it to anyone. I probably won't either. It's kind of embarrassing, even if it did happen ages ago.**_

_**Gaara**_

**xoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooox**

_November 6th, Tuesday_

_I'm so excited! My aunt is taking me to get my driver's license tomorrow. I have been practicing all summer long and have already finished my Driver's Ed course. Now the only thing that is left for me is to get my license! Neji keeps making fun of me, saying how he is going to have to stay off the road for awhile since I am so unpredictable. He's so mean, but I know that he is just playing. We tease each other quite often, so we are both kind of used to it by now._

_I love Neji. Both he and Hinata were my first real friends. It isn't that surprising though, since we live right next door to each other. Neji is like the older brother that I never had. If I ever need anything, I always know that I can count on him, even if he is a bit of a goofball at times._

_DANIELLE MIYAKAZI_

**xoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooox**

_November 7th, Wednesday_

_I got my license! I'm so happy! I don't really know what good it will do me, since I don't have a car to drive. My aunt told me that she was planning on getting a new car anyway, so once she actually does, I can have her old one. But the way my aunt's work schedule has been recently, I don't think that it is going to be anytime soon. _

_DANIELLE MIYAKAZI_

* * *

**_I was just going to post this chapter up tomorrow, but it's a bit of a short chapter, so I decided to post it up tonight. Plus, you guys kept your part of the bargain by making the review counter go up to 20, so here you all go. I wonder if you guys can get it to 30? If not, I won't mind, but I'd like to get it close. Tomorrow is the last day of spring break for me, it will be the last day that I'll be able to post and write for awhile. I have major tests coming up this month and next month and I have to study like crazy for them. I also have a big thesis paper I have to write by the end of this month, and it's not going so well. I don't even know what I'm going to do it on. So, I won't be posting very often after tomorrow. However, I promise to post at least one chapter every week._**

**_Thank you to all my reviewers! You're all great! I would type everything out, but I'm super busy right now. I was just taking a quick break from researching topics for my thesis paper and studying for this huge psychology test that's coming up next week. I'll mention you all tomorrow, along with my next post. PLEASE REVIEW!!_**


	7. Blood

"Class, today we are going to find out what blood type everyone is," Kabuto told his students. "I am going to give each of you a disposable, sterile needle. You have to tear open the paper seal in order to reveal the needle point. You can try pricking your own finger, but please try and draw enough blood on the first time. I'd really hate for you all to bruise up your entire finger by poking holes into it. For those of you who don't want to risk it and would prefer to have it done right the first time, I will be at the front of the classroom. Just be sure to bring your needle along with you.

"Once your finger is pricked, you want to get a drop of blood on each of your 3 plastic dishes. You will add a drop of anti-A serum to one of them. If it clots, then you have blood type A. Then you will add a drop of anti-B serum to the second dish. If that clots, then you are blood type B. If both end up clotting, then you have AB blood, and if neither of them clot, you have type O blood.

"Finally, you will add a droplet of anti-Rh serum to your remaining dish. If the blood clots, then you are Rh-positive. If the blood doesn't clot, then you are Rh-negative.

"Are there any questions before we begin? Good, then let's get started."

Kabuto put on a pair of plastic gloves and stood in the front of the classroom. Students made a line in front of him, patiently waiting their turn. When it was Gaara's turn, he handed his teacher the needle and held his hand out. Kabuto took hold of his index finger and began massaging it so that the blood would circulate more freely. Gaara flinched when the white-haired teacher pricked his finger. Kabuto immediately threw the needle away and shooed Gaara off.

Gaara let his blood drip onto the dishes before bringing his finger to his lips and sucking on the blood. With his free hand, he followed the directions that Kabuto had given earlier. When he finished, he waited for a few minutes, still sucking on his finger tip.

He watched as the blood began to slowly clot in the dish. He watched with emotionless eyes when the first two dishes clotted. He waited to see if the third dish would do the same, but it remained unchanged. He grew tense when he felt the presence of someone behind him.

"Looks like you are AB negative," he chuckled. "It's the rarest blood type, but I guess that's something you and I have in common." Gaara looked at the blood with boredom and shrugged. Kabuto put a band-aid on the table in front of him and went to go check on the other students.

**xoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooox**

"You guys had to do the blood lab too?" Naruto asked Gaara on the bus. Gaara sighed and held up his bandaged forefinger as an answer to Naruto's question. The blonde grinned and chuckled. "What blood type are you?"

"AB negative," Gaara answered softly. "What about you?"

"B positive," Naruto answered, his voice filled with enthusiasm. Gaara nodded. "Sasuke has AB positive, which is slightly different than yours. I can't remember what Sakura's was. I think she was O positive, which would make life easier for her." Gaara gave Naruto a questioning look, waiting for him to explain. "You know, so if Sasuke ever starts bleeding to death, she can always just give him some of her blood. You know that she would practically die for him, so now she kind of can." Gaara smirked at him and shook his head at the blonde. He stood up as the bus pulled up to his bus stop.

"See you tomorrow at tech!" Naruto chirped. Gaara nodded and walked down the isle.

**xoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooox**

Gaara walked through the front door of his house, frowning at what he saw. His eyes narrowed at the broken glass that was sprayed across the floor. Gaara looked away from the scene and kept walking. Just as he was about to turn the corner, he ran right into his father. Gaara realized that he was in trouble, but didn't move a muscle. His father glared at his son and shoved the boy out of his way. Gaara stumbled backwards, dropping his backpack and falling close to the broken glass.

"You had better stay out of my way next time, you worthless piece of shit!" Gaara grunted in pain as he received a kick to his stomach. Gaara covered his stomach with his hands and remained motionless. His father left Gaara where he was and stormed out of the house, slamming the front door shut behind him. After a couple more minutes, Gaara got to his feet. Grabbing his backpack, he slowly made his way up the stairs and into his room, shutting and locking the door behind him. Dropping his backpack by the door, he stumbled over onto his bed. He buried his face into his pillow and sighed.

_"Why me?" _he wondered, clenching his hands into fists.

* * *

_**Okay, well I know that this chapter didn't really dig any deeper into the story, but I thought that it would be a good filler chapter. It's short, simple, and applies real life examples. You also get to see Gaara's father for the first, or at least I think this is his first actual appearance. Oh well. **_

_**I got the blood testing idea from a lab that I did last year in Biology class. I'd like to thank NeferNeferi for the idea of Kabuto being a Biology teacher. I don't know if she remembers making the suggestion, but that's okay! I used it anyway! As for coming up with their blood types, I looked those up on the leafninja website. The only thing I made up was whether they were Rh-positive or Rh-negative. **_

_**Thank you to all of my reviewers:**_

_**Chii- **Thank you. I've been doing my very best to keep it as realistic as possible. I hope it stays that way for upcoming chapters as well._

_**ikka-bikka-boo-** I feel sorry for them too. I probably should have made Naruto get into gigantic trouble or something, but I didn't. Oh well. Maybe next time._

_**GothKid12-** Thanks. Yeah, it's going kind of slow, but I didn't want to make their relationship go too fast. Thanks for letting me know what you thought though. I'll try to pick the pace up a little, because I agree with you. _

_**Sarimia-** Yeah, I thought it would be cute because I love poking fun at those two and this seemed like a perfect place to do it._

_**Sam-** Thank you. I'm glad that you like it._

_**sandninja-13-** Wow! I loved the way you described it. Thank you so much._

_**UchihaKinakae-** Thank you! I'm happy and relieved to hear that. I've been trying not to get the characters OOC._

_**Lynn-** thank you! it was super close, so I decided to post it anyway as a present to all of you since I won't be posting for awhile._

_**NeferNeferi-** I'm glad you liked the journal entries. I thought it would be a good way for people to get a better understanding of Danielle. There's still some things to be learned about her, but those little tidbits will be revealed in later chapters._

_**Lyris88-** Wouldn't we all luv to see lil' Gaara in a panda costume. I get all happy just thinking about it! Thanks for reviewing!_

_**Alright, so I'm posting another chapter up along with this because this chapter was like super short and was kind of a filler chapter. I would appreciate it if you would review for this chapter as well though. If you haven't noticed, the more reviews I get, the more happy I get and the more motivated I am to post the next chapter up quickly.**_

**_I will post 2 more chapters up on Friday. Chapter 10 is kind of short, so that's why I'll post it up along with 9. I'll post it up on Wednesday if the review counter hits 50. That's another reason you should review for this chapter._**

**_AN EXTRA SPECIAL THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU WHO GIVE ME REASONS YOU LIKE IT, OR GIVE ME SUGGESTIONS! I LOOK FORWARD TO THOSE THE MOST!! THANK YOU!!_**

**_PLEASE REVIEW!!_**


	8. Winter Break

It was the day before winter break and all the students were filled with excitement. Personally, Gaara couldn't wait for the day to be over. He felt alone in all the pre-holiday excitement.

Gaara was making his way down the crowded hallway toward his next class. As he was walking, he felt someone tap him on the shoulder. He looked to his side and saw that Danielle was walking beside him. She grabbed him by the forearm and pulled him off to the side. As the two of them stood there, Gaara stared at her with cold eyes, although he didn't really mean anything by it. That was just how he was.

"What do you want Danielle?" Gaara asked, annoyance visible in his tone of voice. "I can't be late for my next class." Danielle nodded.

"I know," she replied. "This is for you." She held out a small object that was wrapped in Christmas paper. She put the gift in Gaara's hand before rejoining the mass of people.

The red-head stood there in slight shock before regaining his composure a few moments later. He sighed to himself and headed to class.

**XOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOX**

Gaara sat down at his desk and stared at the present with confusion in his eyes.

_"She didn't have to get me anything,"_ Gaara thought to himself. Gaara carefully unwrapped the present and stared at what was inside. It was a black wristband, almost like the ones tennis players sometimes wear. There was a white skull and cross bones carefully stitched onto it. The eyes of the skull were filled in with a fiery red colored thread, adding more effect to the overall image.

Along with the wrist band was a small note. Gaara picked it up and quickly read it over.

_Gaara,_

_I hope that you like the present I got you. I just learned how to do cross stitching and needle point stuff, so the skull may not be perfect. I did my best though and I worked really hard on it. It was also a lot of fun as well. It took me forever to decide what to stitch the skull on to. I finally decided on the wristband, although I wasn't really sure how much of a wristband person you were. Oh well. Have a great winter break!!_

_Danielle Miyakazi_

Gaara stared at the wristband for a few moments before slipping it onto his wrist. He normally didn't wear stuff like that, but he didn't mind making a small exception. Danielle had gone out of her way to do something nice for him, so the least he could do was wear it so that she would be happy.

**XOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOX**

"Do you like you present?" Danielle asked Gaara at lunch. Gaara looked into the girl's hopeful eyes and nodded. He held his wrist up so that she could see he was wearing it. Danielle grinned and clapped her hands together with much pleasure. "I'm glad you like it!" she giggled happily.

"Why wouldn't I?" Danielle shrugged.

"I don't know."

Just then, Naruto joined the two of them. He sat down next to Gaara, grinning idiotically. Danielle had grown used to Naruto always being happy and didn't really mind. She was usually the same way, although she wasn't anywhere close to being as enthusiastic about it as Naruto was.

"So are you going to Sakura's Christmas party tomorrow?" he asked Danielle curiously. "Gaara's already going, and we would both love for you to come."

"I'd love to go," Danielle answered, "but I don't have a ride. My aunt is working the night shift at the hospital tomorrow."

"Iruka can give you a ride," Naruto offered.

"Are you sure?" Naruto nodded.

"Of course I'm sure. We'll pick you up at 7:00, okay?"

"Sounds good to me!"

**XOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOX**

Gaara was just returning home from Sakura's party. His head ached from all the thinking he had done on the walk home. He still couldn't understand it. Why did Danielle kiss him?

When Gaara walked through the door of his home, he found his father standing in the middle of the living room, as if he had been waiting for Gaara to come home. Gaara was somewhat surprised by this. His father was usually out getting drunk somewhere on Saturday nights.

"Where have you been you little shit?!" his father snarled. Gaara narrowed his eyes at his father. He wasn't in the mood to fight with him.

"Just leave me the fuck alone," Gaara growled as he walked past him.

"Who in the hell are you to talk to me like that?!" Gaara took a few more steps before stopping abruptly. His face contorted in pain as he fell to the floor. Gaara bit down on his bottom lip, breathing heavily through his nose. He wouldn't let himself cry out in pain. He could feel tears welling up in his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. He would not allow himself to show any signs of weakness.

Gaara's father grinned evilly at his son. He was proud of the scar he had left on the boy's back. He felt no remorse at all. He enjoyed his pain. He fed off of it like a leech fed off of blood.

Tightening his grip on the metal pipe he had in his hand, he crouched down beside Gaara. Their eyes met for a moment, but Gaara quickly tore his eyes away. He didn't want his father to see what he was feeling.

"You're going to learn to show some respect," his father growled. He grabbed Gaara by the back of the neck, causing him to hiss in pain. Gaara grunted as his father smashed his face against the hardwood floor. His father raised the pipe above his head and brought it down upon Gaara's back. Gaara's body jerked in pain and he softly whimpered to himself. He bit down hard on his bottom lip, causing it to start bleeding. He clenched his hands into fists, his nails digging into the palms of the hands.

Gaara was beaten a few more times with the pipe before his father finally dropped it down beside his head. Tears were now streaming down Gaara's face and dripping onto the floor. Blood had trickled down his chin from the hole that Gaara had practically bitten through his bottom lip. Small marks were left from where his nails had been digging into his skin.

"You're nothing but a piece of shit!" his father spat as he got up. He walked over to the closet and took out his coat. "I better not find you there when I get home." Gaara winced as the front door slammed shut.

Tears continued to flow down his face and his breathing was shaky and uneven. His body shook viciously every time he took in a breath of air. His entire back felt as if it were on fire.

With much effort, Gaara was able to bring himself to his knees. He ignored the increasing pain and tried to gather his thoughts. With a shaky hand, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a black cell phone. He flipped it open and began punching some numbers into it. He stopped himself before pressing talk, realizing that he had done something.

He glared at the screen in frustration. He had meant to dial Naruto's number, but he had punched in Danielle's number instead.

"What is wrong with me?" he whispered to himself. He erased the number and quickly called Naruto.

_**"Hello?"**_

"Naruto, it's Gaara."

"I knew that. I have caller ID you know. Anyway, where have you been? I haven't seen you in awhile."

"I'm at my house. Naruto, how quickly can you get over here?"

"Why? What happened Gaara? Are you alright?"

"Enough with the questions already. I'm taking a huge risk in calling you."

"Alright Gaara, I get it. I have to get Danielle and…."

"Don't you dare drag her into this Naruto!"

"I at least need to make sure she can get home alright."

"Just hurry up. I don't know how long my father is going to be gone."

"I'll be there as fast as I can." Gaara flipped his phone shut and shoved it back into his pocket. He attempted to stand up, but the pain was too great. He fell back onto his stomach and laid his head down on the floor.

**XOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOX**

Naruto walked right into Gaara's house. He gasped when he found Gaara lying face flat on the floor. He hurried over to his friend and knelt down beside him.

"Are you alright Gaara?" Naruto asked, putting a hand on Gaara's back. Gaara whimpered, causing Naruto to quickly pull his hand away from him. Naruto looked down at Gaara in concern. He took hold of the bottom of Gaara's shirt and began to slowly lift it up. Hearing no objections from his friend, he lifted it up the rest of the way. His eyes widened when he saw the horrible bruises and marks that were on his back. A metal pipe lying next to Gaara's head caught Naruto's eye. He stared at it, anger swelling up inside of him.

"Gaara," he sighed, obviously upset by what had happened to his friend. "Why do you put up with this?"

"I don't know," Gaara mumbled in a soft voice. "You're not going to tell anyone about this, are you?" Naruto chewed on his bottom lip, mulling everything over in his mind. Heaving a deep sigh, he shook his head.

"No Gaara, I won't tell anyone this time. However, if it gets this bad even one more time, I'm calling the cops on his ass." Gaara remained silent, but nodded his head in understanding. "Let's get you to your room before your father gets here."

"I'm sorry Naruto," Gaara softly apologized. Naruto rolled his eyes at him and sighed.

"You have no reason to be sorry. You're my best friend Gaara and all I want to do is help."

"Thank you Naruto." The blonde smiled and nodded.

**XOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOX**

_December 22nd, Saturday_

_Do Not Read Please_

_I think I upset Gaara tonight. We were at Sakura's party and the two of us just so happened to be standing underneath some mistletoe. This stupid Ino girl got everyone's attention and said that we had to kiss or otherwise we would be breaking tradition. I could tell that Gaara didn't want to, but I kind of did. It was only a little peck on the cheek, but it still seemed to upset him. He didn't seem to be angry or anything, just a little confused I guess. Still, I probably shouldn't have done that._

_I kind of deserted him after that. I guess I was kind of embarrassed. That was the first time I've ever kissed a guy before, even if it was just on the cheek. It was still a big step for me. When I went to go find Gaara to talk things over, he was already gone. Then Naruto told me that something had just come up and he had to leave. He didn't tell me much more than that, but I was pretty sure that it had something to do with Gaara._

_I sure hope that he isn't entirely upset with me. I really hope that I didn't just throw our friendship away. I will call him tomorrow morning and make sure that everything is alright. I sure hope that it is._

_DANIELLE MIYAKAZI_

**XOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOX**

Gaara woke up the next morning to the sound of his cell phone ringing. Groaning to himself, he pulled it out of his pocket and flipped it open.

"Hello?" Gaara was still lying on his stomach. He didn't want to have to get up just yet.

"Good morning Gaara!"

"Danielle?"

"Yeah, I just wanted to talk to you about last night." Memories of the previous night began rushing back to Gaara. A sick feeling started to rise up in his stomach again.

"What of it?"

"Are you angry with me?"

"Why would I be?"

"I don't know," she sighed.

"Just forget about it. It's done and over with."

"Alright. Are you okay? You don't sound so good."

"I'm fine," Gaara sighed. "I just woke up."

"I'm sorry," Danielle giggled. "I didn't mean to wake you up."

"I have to go Danielle."

"Alright. I'll talk to you later then."

Gaara flipped his phone shut and sighed to himself, slowly moving himself into a sitting position.

_"What is this feeling I have for her?"_ Just then, his phone began to ring again. Slightly irritated, he flipped it open once more.

"Hello?"

"Good morning Gaara!" two people greeted cheerfully. Gaara jumped slightly, almost dropping his phone. His heart started beating faster and a lump and a lump began to form in his throat.

"Temari? K-Kankurou?"

"You sound surprised to hear from us little brother," Kankurou chuckled. "We haven't talked to you in a while, so we decided to call you up."

"You're on winter break now, aren't you?" his sister asked.

"Yeah."

"Great! Would you like to come and spend break with us? We talked to father about it already, and we convinced him to say yes. Now all we need is for you to say yes." Gaara was silent for a moment.

"Why?"

"Well, we haven't seen each other since school started up," Kankurou began, "and since we are both on break at the same time, we decided to see if you wanted to come over."

"I guess. I have nothing better to do."

"Sweet! Kankurou will be picking you up tonight."

"Yup, so it will be just us two men."

"Since when did you become a man?" Temari asked in a snide tone. "You are so far away from being one that it's not even funny!"

Gaara listened to his older siblings bicker, smirking to himself. After a couple of minutes, they finally quieted down.

"Anyway," Kankurou sighed, "I will be picking you up around 7. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, that's fine."

"Great! See you then!"

Gaara shut his phone and sat there in shock. He hadn't heard from his siblings for almost a year.

"No wonder father was so brutal last night," Gaara whispered to himself. Sighing to himself, he sluggishly got to his feet. He was immediately greeted with a burning sensation going up and down his back. Ignoring the pain, he went over to his closet and took out a duffel bag. He set it on top of his dresser and started filling it up with his clothes. As he was doing this, he couldn't help but feel a small sense of relief. After Gaara finished, he took a small bottle of Tylenol out from his top dresser drawer. He popped two pills into his mouth and swallowed. He tossed the bottle into his duffel bag and zipped it.

Gaara looked into his mirror and sighed upon seeing his busted up lip. _"How am I going to explain this?" _Gaara made his way back over to his bed and laid himself back down on his stomach. He closed his eyes, trying to focus on something other than the pain. The only thing that he could think about that took his mind off of everything else was Danielle and the incident the night before.

_"I'm must be going insane,"_ Gaara thought to himself. _"There's no other explanation."_

**_Kankurou and Temari finally make their first appearance, sort of!! Yay!! What did you guys think? REVIEW!!_**


	9. A Shocking Incident

Gaara was sitting down at the lunch table, slowly eating his sandwich.

"Hey Gaara!" Danielle chirped happily. Gaara watched her as she sat down beside him. She took her sandwich out and began to eat it silently.

"You seem to be in a good mood today," she commented. Gaara nodded.

"I stayed with my older siblings over the break," he told her.

"Oh! I didn't know you had any siblings."

"I don't see them very often since they are busy with college and other junk."

The two teenagers continued eating in silence, glancing up at each other every now and then.

"Where's Naruto?" Danielle asked, realizing that he was missing.

"Detention," Gaara sighed. Danielle tilted her head to the side.

"Already?" Gaara smirked and nodded his head.

"He was back sassing one of our teachers during class." Danielle giggled and shook her head in disappointment.

"I swear, there's something wrong with him."

"Are you coming to tech crew today after school?" Danielle grinned and nodded.

"Sasuke and I are going up into the catwalk to check out the lights." Gaara scowled upon hearing Sasuke's name. "What's wrong? You make that face every time I mention Sasuke."

"I just don't like him," Gaara grumbled.

"Then why do you hang around him sometimes?"

"Because whenever I'm around him, Naruto is there too. Naruto likes Sasuke, and I like Naruto. I can deal with it."

"I'm sorry." Gaara shook his head.

"I don't care."

"Do you have any issues with Neji?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. Gaara shook his head again, causing Danielle to grin. "Good! I'm having a few people over at my house to watch some movies. Afterwards, the girls are sleeping over and the guys are sleeping over at Neji's."

"What movies?" Gaara asked, slightly curious.

"Neji has the Hannibal series and so we're going to get together to watch it." Gaara smirked and nodded.

"Alright, I'm in."

**XOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOX**

Gaara was down on the stage, painting a board that was supposed to resemble stained glass. He was smirking to himself, listening to Danielle drive Sasuke nuts. The two of them had been bickering back and forth up in the catwalk for 10 minutes now.

"Sasuke! You're such an idiot! You're supposed to double check before tampering with that!"

"I did Danielle!" Sasuke snapped. "I checked it four times already!"

"You don't need to yell at me! I'm just trying to keep you from dying!"

"If it makes you feel any better, you can come and check it yourself."

Gaara sighed to himself after not hearing either one of them for a few minutes. He figured that Sasuke had finally convinced her that he knew what he was doing. He just continued to paint.

Suddenly, Danielle's scream rang through the building, along with her calling out for help. Gaara dropped his paint brush and clambered up the stairs to the catwalk. He was relieved to see that Danielle was alright. His concern came right back when he saw that she was kneeling over Sasuke, performing CPR on him.

"Gaara, give me a hand! He's not breathing and his heart stopped." Gaara sighed to himself.

"Then move over. There's no way that I'm doing mouth to mouth." Deciding that now wasn't the time to argue, she moved so that she was sitting above Sasuke's head. She pinched his nose shut and tilted Sasuke's head back while Gaara knelt over him and began pumping up and down on his chest. Gaara paused every now and then, allowing Danielle to give him a few breaths.

The two of them continued on with the procedure until Sasuke began coughing viciously. Danielle's eyes widened as blood ran down Sasuke's chin. Sasuke's breathing had a raspy sound to it and his hands were trembling. He looked up at Danielle with fear in his eyes. Danielle forced a smile to her face and began to stroke Sasuke's hair.

"It's alright Sasuke," she told him softly. "Help will be here soon."

**XOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOX**

"What happened up there?" Gaara asked later. The two of them were sitting up in Danielle's room. Gaara had come over for dinner and the two of them were waiting for Layla to give Gaara a ride home. Danielle shook her head.

"I'm not really sure," she sighed. "He checked the light several times, and even I checked it. That light was off, but he still got electrocuted anyway."

"He's going to be okay," Gaara assured her. Danielle nodded.

"Thank you for helping me out with him."

"Don't worry about it. I've never done CPR on someone before, so it was an interesting experience." Danielle smirked and shook her head at him.

"Do you have any idea how bad that sounds?" Gaara shrugged.

"It's the truth."

"I never said that it wasn't the truth. I just said that it sounded kind of bad."

The two of them were silent for a couple of minutes, not really knowing what else to say. Both of them were slightly uncomfortable.

"Have you always lived with your aunt?" Gaara asked. Danielle shook her head.

"I lived with my parents and traveled with them my whole life. I just moved in with her over the summer."

"I'm guessing that something happened to them."

"They were killed in a car crash." Gaara was silent. "What happened to your mother?"

"What do you mean?" he asked, looking up at her with blank eyes.

"Well, you said that you lived alone with your father."

"My mother died giving birth to me."

"So, you never had a mother?" Gaara shook his head.

The two of them were silent. Gaara was looking down at the ground, lost in his own thoughts. He was suddenly pulled from them when he Danielle took hold of his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"I'm glad we're friends," she sighed happily. Gaara looked down at their hands and then back up at Danielle. He felt sick to his stomach again, but it wasn't a bad sick. He didn't understand the feeling, but he had gotten used to it. Still, he couldn't help but wonder why he always felt that way.

* * *

**_I based this chapter off of something that had happened a long time ago at our school up in the catwalk. I wasn't attending that school at the time, but my friend told me about it when we were watching boys change the lights up in the catwalk. _**

**_I will post chapter 10 on either Friday or Saturday, depending on how many reviews I get and how much school work I am able to get done. Chapter 10 is a lot shorter than I usually post, actually I think it's the shortest chapter that I have typed up so far. Anyways, I make up for that in chapter 11, with that being the longest chapter that I have ever typed up. It was at least 20 pages on words processor._**

**_Thanks to all my reviewers:_**

**_Lyris88, ikka-bikka-boo, GothKid12, NeferNeferi, and Angel Fate of the Desert._**

**_I thank you all very much!_**

**_PLEASE REVIEW!!_**


	10. Opening Night

It was the week that the musical would be opening. Sasuke had recovered from being electrocuted and was back in the lighting booth. Danielle was backstage, handing out portable microphones to everyone. She was excited about her job as "mic girl". Her favorite part of the job wouldn't be until the night of the show and she couldn't wait.

Naruto and Gaara were in the garage, making some minor adjustments to some of the props. Danielle would sometimes come to see what they were doing, and to tease Naruto. She would do this by screaming and pointing at him every time he picked up a power tool.

When opening night finally rolled around, everyone was bustling about to get things ready. Gaara was sitting back, watching everyone freak out. He had nothing to do at the moment and didn't want to get in the way, so he just found a place to sit and watched everyone else.

Danielle was roaming around backstage, trying to hunt down certain cast members. She had a bunch of microphone pouches with her and about 2 rolls of surgical tape. Gaara smirked when he saw her.

"What are you doing?" he asked. Danielle looked down at him and grinned.

"I'm trying to find Babette, Mrs. Potts, and Belle," she chirped.

"Don't you know their real names?" he asked, raising an invisible eyebrow.

"Nope! Have you seen any of them?"

"If I have, what are you going to do when you find them?" Danielle grinned evilly and held up one of the rolls of tapes.

"I'm going to tape the microphone packs to them," she began. "And then when the show is over, I get the pleasure of ripping the tape off and causing them pain." Gaara smirked at her and shook his head.

"You're having way too much fun with this," he sighed. Danielle giggled and skipped off.

**XOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOX**

It was the last scene and the tech crew members were getting into place to go out onto stage and take a bow. Danielle grinned at Gaara and he just rolled his eyes.

"Get ready!" someone whispered loudly. Gaara's eyes widened when he felt Danielle grab hold of his hand. He looked at her with a questioning look.

"What?" she asked, "Everyone's doing it." Gaara looked at everyone else and found that they had all linked their hands together for when they went out on stage. Moments later, the techies clambered up the stairs and onto the second platform, taking a bow. Danielle let go of Gaara's hand and started clapping as the other cast members began to come out onto the stage.

**XOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOX**

_February 14th, Thursday_

_Tonight was opening night for __Beauty and the Beast__. It went really well, except for some of the cast members who forgot their lines. That's why I don't like doing any of the acting stuff. I get way too nervous. My nails were basically gone by the end of the show. If I were part of the cast, they probably would have been gone a lot sooner._

_In case I haven't mentioned it before, I am a nail biter. It is a horrible habit that I just can't help. It gets really bad when I'm under stressful situations. Other than that, I'm pretty good about keeping myself from biting them off._

_Please Don't Read this part!_

_I keep getting this weird feeling about Gaara. I'm really good at shrugging it off and whatnot. Still, when I don't have anything to do, I'm usually thinking about him, or what the two of us have done together. Another thing that I have noticed is that Gaara has been acting weird lately. Tonight, when I held his hand for the bow, he seemed kind of uncomfortable or embarrassed. I wonder what's going on with us._

_DANIELLE MIYAKAZI_

**XOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOX**

_**February 16th, Saturday**_

_**Tonight was the last night of the show. It was kind of upsetting for a lot of people. I can kind of understand why since it did bring a lot of people closer together and it was a lot of fun. Danielle was upset as well. Even though she sees most of the people just about every day, she says that it won't be the same. She ended up crying on me and used my shirt as a tissue. Even though I was kind of uncomfortable, I didn't make her find someone else to cry on. For some reason, I just couldn't.**_

_**GAARA**_

* * *

**_Well, I said that this chapter was going to be really short. But, I promise that I made up for it in the next chapter. I need to finish typing up chapter 12, and once I do, I will post chapter 11. I will hopefully get it done tonight, so I will most likely be posting it sometime tomorrow, so be looking for it._**

**_Thank you wonderful reviewers!!_**

_**Lyris88-** I don't plan to make anything happen between Sasuke and Danielle. The only reason I made Sasuke be the one to be electrocuted was because he is able to weild the chidori in the series. I always thought that it would be ironically funny if Sasuke were to get injured or die because of his own chidori, so I made him get electrocuted instead. It's kind of mean, but I never said that I was going to be nice to the characters. 8P THANX!!_

_**GothKid12-** Good! I love making things that are surprising and that no one expects. It's more interesting that way! Thank you for the review!_

_**NeferNeferi-** everyone's wondering when Gaara will get a clue. All I can say is that it will happen when it happens. Thanks for the review!_

_**Angel Fate of the Desert-** Maybe Sakura will be able to donate that blood that she wanted to! She could be his savior! Lol. This incident is done and over with though. I was kind of just using that chapter as a filler chapter, along with this chapter. I normally do several filler chapters whenever a big chapter is coming up. hint, hint_

**_I'd also like to thank all the people who have added this story to their alert list, or to their favorites list. It's not as wonderful as getting a review, but it still lets me know that you are enjoying this story, so it still makes me pretty happy. _**

**_Thanks to NeferNeferi for beta-reading for me. It's so much fun! _**

**_So Please Review!! The more reviews I get, the more tempted I will be to post chapter 11 up, and trust me IT'S A BIGGY!! I'm so excited about it!! WOOT!! REVIEW!!_**


	11. Promises

Gaara was sitting in his first bell class, waiting for class to begin. His bus had arrived at school a bit earlier than usual, which gave him some time to relax a little. He was now reading a book, which wasn't helping him relax at all.

Danielle had lent him the book a couple of days ago. It was a suspense book that was written by the author David Wiltse. It wasn't really the same as the last book she had lent him, but it still captured his attention. It had a bunch of psychology stuff thrown into it as well as stuff that made him stop and think. He liked stuff like that.

"Do you like the book so far?" Gaara looked up and smirked when he saw Danielle sitting down next to him.

"It's definitely different," he sighed. He marked his place and closed the book.

"What happened there?" Danielle asked, pointing to the bruise he had on the left side of his jaw. Gaara frowned, gently touching the bruise with his fingertips.

"I got into a small fight," he lied, keeping his voice down. Danielle raised an eyebrow at him.

"With who?" Gaara sighed again.

"It's none of your business Danielle. It's over with, so you don't need to worry about it." Danielle looked at him in concern, but nodded.

"Just let me say this. You shouldn't have to put up with shit like that. Promise me that you'll get help the next time something like this happens." Gaara narrowed his eyes at her.

"I told you…"

"Just promise me Gaara!" Gaara's eyes widened slightly, seeing the fear that was written on Danielle's face. "You have been coming in with new bruises each week. I haven't said anything until now because I thought that you would have said something already. Please promise me Gaara. I don't want anything bad to happen to you. You're one of my closest friends and I don't like seeing you hurt." Gaara bit his bottom lip and looked down at the ground with sadness in his eyes.

"Alright," he sighed, "I promise." Danielle gave him a weak smile and turned to face the front of the classroom.

_"I'm sorry Danielle. I don't know if I'll be able to keep this promise."_

**XOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOX**

Naruto was surprised that Gaara missed the bus that morning. He was even more surprised that Gaara didn't show up for school. It was a Friday and there were several tests that day. Not only that, but all the teachers were in "freak mode" because spring break was the following Wednesday. Naruto knew that there was no way Gaara would miss school at a time like this. In fact, Gaara had never missed a single day of school for as long as he had been going to Konoha. It didn't matter how beaten up he was. He had always found a way to drag himself to school for the day. It gave Naruto a bad feeling.

**OOOOOOOOOO**

Naruto was sitting at the lunch table, happily chatting with some of his friends. He jumped slightly when he felt someone tap him on the shoulder. He turned around and grinned when he saw Danielle standing behind him.

"Hey Naruto, can I talk to you privately for a moment?" Naruto nodded and got up from the table. He followed Danielle to a less crowded area of the lunch room and looked into her eyes. The joy that was once there was now replaced with pure worry.

"Is everything okay Danielle?" Naruto asked with concern.

"I wanted to ask you the same thing," she replied somberly. Naruto gave her a confused look.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm talking about Gaara. He has been coming to school with bruises lately, and don't tell me that you haven't noticed. I know that you're not that stupid. On top of that, he is suddenly absent without saying a word to anyone. What is he hiding Naruto?" Naruto was slightly frightened by how emotional she was getting. She was definitely upset, but not like she was about to cry. It was more like she was about kill someone if she didn't get a straightforward answer.

"I-I'm sorry Danielle," he stammered. "It's not my place to be saying anything. As for what has been happening to him recently, I really don't know what's going on." Danielle could tell that Naruto wasn't being completely honest, which only raised her suspicions. Still, she didn't want to press Naruto any further. She was just going to have to find out another way.

Without saying another word, she turned away from Naruto and walked away. Naruto felt extremely bad for Danielle, but he had promised Gaara that he wouldn't drag her into his mess. Unless Gaara said otherwise, he wasn't going to say anything to her.

**XOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOX**

Gaara whimpered in pain as he slowly regained consciousness. He was lying in an awkward position at the bottom of his stairs. He ignored the pain as he readjusted himself so that he was lying on his back. Tears began streaming down his cheeks as he remembered what had happened. He remembered his father trying to beat him, but for the first time, he had fought back.

With a trembling hand, Gaara took his cell phone out of his pocket. He quickly shook his head, trying to fight off unconsciousness.

_"Not yet," _he kept telling himself.

He flipped his phone open and saw that he had 3 new messages, all left by Danielle. Gaara got out of those and punched some buttons before pressing 'send'. With a sigh, he closed his phone.

_"Please let her get it,"_ Gaara silently pleaded as darkness began to surround him.

**XOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOX**

Danielle had gotten the message early Saturday morning. She honestly had no idea what she was going to do on her own, so she called Naruto and told him about the text message. She told him that she would meet him on the corner of Gaara's street.

Danielle and Naruto met at around 10 a.m. Naruto was tired and confused.

"What's going on Danielle?" Naruto yawned. Danielle took out her phone and showed him the text message that Gaara had sent her.

_**HELP! PLZ HURRY!**_

Naruto's eyes instantly widened.

"Let's help him first," Danielle told him as she shoved the phone back inside her pocket. "You can give me a full explanation later." Naruto nodded and the two of them sprinted down Gaara's street. They stopped in front of his house, and tried to catch their breath.

"His dad's car isn't here," Naruto pointed out, "which means that it's safe to enter." Danielle gave him a strange look but nodded. She followed him up the front porch and took in a deep breath.

The two of them walked inside and saw nothing in the living room. The two of them slowly walked through the small room and gasped when they came across Gaara lying unconscious at the bottom of his steps.

"D-Danielle," Naruto stammered, "check him out. I'll call for an ambulance." The raven-haired girl nodded and knelt down beside her friend. She pressed her index and middle finger against his neck, finding his pulse and timing it. She sighed when she found that it was lower than it should be. Next, she brought her ear close to his face and listened for his breathing. It was shallow and short, but at least it was still there. She pulled her face away and looked down at him. She took in any other details that could help identify what was wrong with him. She noticed that his lips were chapped, which could have been a sign of dehydration.

A couple of minutes later, Naruto closed his phone and looked down at Danielle and Gaara.

"H-How is he?" Naruto asked nervously. Danielle sighed and shrugged.

"Just because my aunt is a doctor doesn't mean I am," she told him. Naruto looked at her with hurt in his eyes. Danielle sighed and looked back down at Gaara. "He's alive, but it doesn't look too good. His breathing doesn't sound normal and his heart rate is lower than it should be. Also, his lips are chapped and dry. That could mean that he is dehydrated." Naruto nodded.

"I'm…. I'm going to go out and wave down the ambulance." With that, Naruto left Danielle with Gaara.

Taking in another deep breath, Danielle looked back down at Gaara and took in all the other details that she had ignored earlier. His lips were chapped and covered in dry blood; his skin was a sickly white and the black rings around his eyes even seemed to be lighter in color. Hesitant at first, she slowly ran her fingers through his greasy hair. She wished that he would wake up. Even just a simple response from him would make her happy. At the same time, she didn't want him to wake up just yet. She didn't want him to experience anymore pain. He had been through enough already.

"I hope you can hear me Gaara," Danielle said softly. "It's Danielle, and I brought Naruto along too. The ambulance is on the way and you'll be taken good care of at the hospital. I won't be able to visit, since I'll be going out of town tonight and I won't be back until Thursday evening. It'll be spring break by then, so we'll be able to hang out. I'll also make sure that Naruto keeps me updated on your condition."

About 5-10 minutes later, 2 paramedics came rushing in with a stretcher.

"Has he been conscious at all since you found him?" one of the paramedics asked. Danielle stood up and shook her head.

"No, he hasn't." The two nodded and carefully lifted Gaara onto the stretcher. They strapped him in so that he wouldn't fall off and then they continued to move him out of the house. Danielle watched them leave before joining Naruto.

The two teens stayed with the police for another 20 minutes, answering questions and filling them in on the major details. Naruto did most of the talking since Danielle wasn't fully aware of everything that had been going on with Gaara. She didn't even know that he was being abused by his father until that very day.

Once they were released, the two teens started walking down the street to where Danielle had parked her aunt's car.

"Do you want a ride?" she asked. Naruto nodded and got into the passenger side of the car while Danielle got into the driver's seat. She put the keys into the ignition and waited before turning the car on.

"Naruto?" The blonde looked at her, tilting his head to the side. "Will you do me a favor?" Naruto smiled weakly and nodded.

"Sure, what is it?"

"I'm leaving town tonight with my youth orchestra and I won't be back for awhile. I'm going to visit Gaara today before I leave, but I won't be able to visit him during any of the other days. Promise me that you will visit Gaara everyday and keep me posted on his condition."

"Of course! You can count on me! Believe it!" Danielle smiled and giggled softly.

**XOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOX**

_**Gaara's subconscious mind**_

_**Gaara sat on the ground, his knees held up against his chest. He was surrounded by thick darkness, making him feel as if he were encased in some substantial, black substance. It was almost suffocating.**_

_"I'm truly alone," __**he thought to himself. **__"I knew that I would eventually end up being alone and buried in nothingness. I just wish it hadn't happened so fast."_

_**Gaara's heart began to race as a soothing voice lightened the dense air around him. It was the voice of a female. Her voice was soft, but firm, as if she were talking to a young child. The words were muffled, but Gaara really cared that she was speaking. Just listening to her gave him comfort.**_

_**Gaara slowly looked around, looking for the source of the voice. Everywhere he looked, he found nothing but darkness. He sighed in frustration and buried his face into his knees. Moments later, he felt something stroking his hair. He involuntarily shuddered and his heart started beating even faster than before. A strange feeling took over his body. He felt sick, but he didn't want this sickness to leave him. It was like he was supposed to feel this way. Along with this sick feeling came the sense of completion. It was as if he was slowly becoming whole.**_

_**Gaara slowly lifted his head, hoping to find what was causing him to feel all these strange sensations. Still, there was nothing but blackness. The feelings he had felt slowly began to disappear, making him feel empty again. The voice had disappeared as well, making him feel lost and lonely. He wanted the voice to come back and he wanted to know the face behind that voice. Most of all, he wanted to feel whole again.**_

_**End of Gaara's "Dream"**_

**XOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOX**

It was later Saturday night and all was fairly quiet. Gaara had been admitted into the hospital and was lying in bed, still unconscious. According to the doctors, he was suffering from severe dehydration and minor malnutrition. Gaara was being taken care of and would be able to go home in a few days. But where was his home now?

**OOOOOOOOOOOO**

"What are we going to do with him?" Temari asked Kankurou, making sure she kept her voice low.

"I don't know," Kankurou sighed. "I have only been able to think up of 2 choices."

"And they are…?"

"One, he comes to live with us. The bad thing about this is that we would be pulling Gaara away from everything he has finally gotten used to. Also, he only has two months of school left, so it's kind of stupid to pull him out and start him up in one that is closer to our home."

"Okay, then let's hear choice number two."

"We move here." Temari looked down at the ground in anger, clenching her hands into fists.

"We can't move here," Temari told him. "We have school that we need to finish as well and it's a two hour drive to get there."

"I know Tem, but we can't just drag Gaara away from here either. Who knows what will happen to him if we did that, especially after he just got settled into this place. The last thing he is going to want to do is move away again and start everything over, just like before."

The two siblings were interrupted by the sound of someone knocking softly. They both looked over at the door and watched as a man entered. He had brown hair that was pulled back into a short ponytail. Following right behind him was a blonde-haired boy, who was carrying a vase full of flowers.

"I hope you don't mind if we visit Gaara for a few minutes," the man said politely. The two siblings shook their heads. He smiled and looked down at the younger boy. "Alright Naruto, go put the flowers down and visit your friend." He looked back up at the siblings. "By the way, my name is Iruka."

"I'm Temari," the female spoke, "and this is my younger brother Kankurou. Gaara's our baby brother."

"Do you mind if I set the flowers here?" Naruto asked, putting the vase down on a small table.

"That's fine, but you didn't have to bring any flowers," Temari told them.

"Yes I did," Naruto chuckled. "This girl named Danielle gave them to me and told me to take them to Gaara."

"Danielle?" the two siblings both asked.

"She's another one of Gaara's friends. She wanted to be here tonight before she had to leave to go out of town, but she had to leave earlier than she had expected. I promised her that I would keep her updated." Temari smiled and nodded.

"See Temari," Kankurou whispered, "we can't take him away from here."

"It's not like I want to!" Temari snapped.

"Gaara's always welcome to stay with Naruto and me," Iruka offered. The two siblings looked at the grinning man in shock. "Gaara and Naruto have been best friends for over a year. Besides, Gaara has practically been living with us anyway, right Naruto?" The blonde chuckled.

"Only about two or three days a week," Naruto corrected. The two siblings looked at one another with uncertainty.

"I don't see why not," Kankurou told his sister. Temari nodded.

"Are you sure that's alright?" she asked. Iruka nodded.

"Of course it's alright! Gaara is a good kid! He's no trouble at all!" Temari smiled and nodded.

"We'll have to run it by Gaara first."

"Definitely!" Iruka pulled out a pen from his pocket and jotted down his number on a napkin. "Call me and let me know what you have all decided," he told her, handing the napkin to Kankurou. The siblings smiled and nodded.

"Thank you so much," they both said.

"Don't worry about it." Iruka turned to the blonde and smirked. "Ready to go knucklehead?" Naruto turned around and nodded.

**XOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOX**

Gaara slowly opened his eyes, softly moaning to himself. He could hear the sound of machines beeping and could smell the strong stench of disinfectant. He blinked a couple of times and rolled his head to the side. As his vision became clearer, he could make out his brother sitting in a chair on the opposite side of the room.

"K-K-Kankurou," he stammered. The older boy looked up from the magazine he was reading and smiled. He quickly closed it and set it down on the seat beside him. He stood up and walked over to his little brother's side, kneeling down next to the bed.

"So you're finally awake," Kankurou chuckled.

"What day?" Gaara mumbled. The medications that Gaara was on prevented him from being able to talk clearly, but Kankurou was capable of making it out.

"It's Sunday evening," he answered softly. "Gaara, I know you're tired, but I need to talk to you about something that is relatively important." Gaara nodded lazily. "Do you want to continue living here, or do you want to come live with Temari and me? If you stay here, you'll be living with Naruto. However, once school is done, you are more than welcome to come live with us or whatever. If you choose to live with us, you won't be able to finish up school here, and you'll have to start over at a different one." Gaara stared at him blankly. After a couple of minutes, Gaara shook his head.

"Don't know," he grumbled, "can't think."

"That's alright little bro," Kankurou assured him. "You're going to have to stay with Naruto for a week anyway, just until you get your strength back. You can take that time to think about it. We'll talk to you about it again on Saturday. Is that alright with you?" Gaara nodded, figuring that he didn't have much of a choice. Kankurou smirked and ruffled his brother's hair.

"I'm so glad that you're alright," he sighed. Gaara looked away from his brother, not wanting him to see the shame he was trying to hide. "Just get some rest, okay? They are going to release you from the hospital tomorrow morning." Gaara nodded once more and slowly closed his eyes. He let out a sigh of relief when he felt Kankurou's hand on top of his own.

**XOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOX**

Naruto went to answer the door and was surprised to find Danielle standing on his front step.

"When did you get back?!" he asked with a smirk. Danielle giggled and threw her arms around him.

"I just got home about half an hour ago," she told him, "then I came here. So, how is Gaara doing?" Naruto frowned and shook his head.

"Not so good," he sighed. Danielle raised an eyebrow.

"What's wrong with him?"

"I'm not so sure. He won't talk to me about it. Hell, he hasn't even left his room for three days! From what I have been able to find out, he has been having these troublesome nightmares, so he has stopped sleeping altogether. I don't know how long it has been since he has gotten any sleep."

"And he hasn't talked to you at all?" Naruto shook his head.

"Not recently, but it might be easier to talk to him if there wasn't a door separating us. He locked it, and Iruka doesn't really want me to break it down. I really have no idea what to do. He hasn't eaten anything and I can hear him in there crying to himself at night. It's really disturbing, since Gaara never really lets his emotions show." Danielle nodded and thought for a moment.

"I'm not really sure if I will be able to get to him, but I can give it a try." Danielle brought a finger to her chin, thinking hard about what to do. Several minutes later, she smiled and looked up at Naruto.

"Do you have an idea?" he asked, his voice filled with hope. Danielle grinned and nodded.

"I think I do. I don't know if it will work, but it's worth a try."

"Sweet! What is it?"

"Well, I'm going to need a piece of paper and two writing utensils." Naruto gave her a weird look, but nodded and went off to search for the items.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOO**

Gaara was sitting on his bed with his back against the headboard. He was hugging his knees to his chest. His eyes were bloodshot and swollen. Basically, he was just flat out miserable.

He cringed at the sound of someone knocking on wood. He was really getting annoyed with Naruto. Why couldn't he just leave him alone?

"Gaara, it's Danielle!" Gaara lifted his head upon hearing the female's voice. "I missed you so much! I wanted to talk to you, but Naruto said that you weren't being very talkative. That's why I came up with an alternative!"

Gaara watched as a piece of paper slipped beneath the door, followed by a pen. Gaara stared at the white rectangle with curiosity. After staring at it for a few more moments, he got up and walked over to it. He took a closer look at it and saw that there was something written on it. He picked the paper up and observed the handwriting, concluding that it was written by Danielle. He knew it was from her because he recognized her neat handwriting. Even her scribbling was somewhat neat.

"_Hiya!! You have no idea how much I have missed you and Naruto!! You especially, since I got to talk to Naruto just about every day. I missed Neji too, but I already paid him a short visit and annoyed the crap out of him. Anyway, how are you feeling?"_

Gaara read it over a few times before the pen lying on the floor caught his eye. Gaara slowly knelt down onto the ground and picked it up. He sat down by the door and began to write his response.

_**"Not so sure anymore. Where have you been?"**_

He then slipped the piece of paper back under the door and waited for a couple of minutes for it to reappear again.

_"Didn't Naruto tell you? I was out of town because of a stupid orchestra contest thing."_

_**"I know that, but where did you go?"**_

_"Oh! We went to Detroit, Michigan."_

_**"How did you do?"**_

_"I personally didn't do so well, but as a whole, we got third place out of 32."_

_**"Why didn't you do so great?"**_

_"I was kind of overwhelmed with worry. I felt really bad about having to leave you at a time like that."_

_**"I'm sorry."**_

_"I don't blame you, so you shouldn't."_

_**"What instrument do you play?"**_

_"Cello, and I play a bit of piano as well. Still, my cello is my baby. Oh, and that reminds me! I got a new cello while we were in Michigan. My aunt said that I should give my old cello away or donate it to someone, but I could never do that to Maria. She's my baby!"_

_**"Maria?"**_

_"That's my old cello. I named her Maria!"_

_**"You named your cello?"**_

_"Yup, and I'm naming my new cello too! I think I'm going to call him Hernesto."_

_**"How do you know that it's a dude?"**_

_"Hehehe, there's no real way to tell. I was playing a song on it, and I heard that it had a dark, rich tone to it. That's one way to tell if it's a dude, or a chick."_

_**"That's weird."**_

_"Have you ever done any wood burning?"_

_**"Like setting fires?"**_

_"No, not like setting fires! You know, taking this thingy and burning pictures on the wood with it."_

_**"Oh, no I haven't done anything like that before."**_

_"Well, start practicing because I want you to draw something onto Maria to make her look more like a Maria."_

_**"That will be interesting. I guess I can give it a try."**_

_"We're running out of paper."_

_**"I can see that."**_

_"I know you haven't been feeling so well lately, but could you open the door? I would really like to hear you again or at least see you. The last time I saw you, it wasn't under very good circumstances."_

Gaara held the paper in trembling hands, taking in a deep breath. For some reason, he wanted to see her too.

_**"I'll open the door, but only for you."**_

_"Agreed."_

Gaara sighed and slowly stood up. Hesitant at first, he unlocked the door and opened it slightly. Danielle slipped in and Gaara quickly shut and locked the door behind her. Danielle watched as Gaara walked over to his bed and sat down. Danielle looked into his eyes and frowned.

"You've been crying," she commented softly. Gaara bit his bottom lip and shook his head. Danielle walked over to where he was sitting and crouched down in front of him. "Will you please talk to me? I just want to help Gaara." Gaara's body began to tremble and tears welled up in his eyes. He didn't know why she made him feel that way. He wasn't really used to people talking to him the way that Danielle sometimes did.

Gaara's eyes widened when he felt a pair of arms wrap around him and pull him in close. His breathing grew shaky and the tears he had been trying to hold back were now rolling down his cheeks. He slowly brought his arms up in between them and gently pushed her away from him.

"Please go now," he said softly, his words shaky.

Gaara laid himself down on his stomach, resting his head on his pillow. He turned his face away from her. Danielle ignored Gaara's request and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Why don't you just leave!?" Gaara snapped, clutching his pillow with one of his hands.

"Because you are upset, and I don't want to leave you alone like this." Gaara's body tensed up when he felt Danielle's hand on his back. He shuddered as she ran her fingers up and down his back.

"What are you doing?" Danielle smiled and continued to run her hand up and down his back. She tickled the back of his neck, making the redhead gasp. She giggled at his reaction and went back to rubbing his backside.

"My mother used to do this to me when I was upset," she explained, keeping her voice soft. Gaara's grip on his pillow weakened and his body slowly relaxed. His eyelids started to grow heavy and his breathing began to even out.

After a while, Danielle figured that he was finally asleep. As soon as she got up to leave, Gaara rolled over and grabbed her by the wrist. She looked down into his pleading eyes and frowned.

"Don't leave," he whispered.

"I thought you wanted- ," she was cut off by Gaara.

"- Please." Danielle frowned when she saw a tear roll down his cheek. She leaned over him and wiped the tear away with the back of her free hand.

"I'll be right back," she told him, looking into his eyes.

"Promise?" Danielle smiled and nodded.

"I promise Gaara." Gaara loosened his grip on her wrist and watched as she left his room.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

"What's going on?" Naruto asked as Danielle entered the kitchen.

"Do you mind if I stay here for tonight?" she asked. Naruto shook his head.

"That's fine. I can sleep on the couch if you want to sleep in my bed." Danielle shook her head.

"Thanks for the offer, but I think that I'm going to be sharing a bed with Gaara." Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"You two aren't going to…"

"No! Gaara is just freaked out by something and asked for me to stay. I told him that I would."

"Okay… But you have to swear that you won't do anything."

"Geez Naruto, you're disgusting. I wasn't even thinking about any of that until you mentioned it. Whatever, I swear we won't do anything."

**OOOOOOOOOOOO**

When Danielle returned, Gaara was lying underneath his covers and had his back turned towards the door.

Danielle walked over to his bed and sat down on the edge.

"You came back," he whispered.

"I told you that I would," she told him soothingly. "Now, if you want me to stay, you had better scoot over." Gaara made some room for Danielle and the girl slid beneath the covers. It was a single bed, so there wasn't much room. Danielle didn't seem to care though. She wrapped an arm around him and pulled him close. Gaara's body stiffened for a moment, but quickly relaxed as Danielle began running her fingers down his back.

"I'm sorry," Gaara whispered.

"What for?" Danielle asked in confusion.

"Everything."

"Well, don't be. You need to quit apologizing for everything. It's not your fault. Plus, I really don't mind."

"Thank you, Danielle."

"It's alright Gaara. Just close your eyes and go to sleep."

**OOOOOOOOOOOO**

Danielle was slowly woken up when Gaara stirred in his sleep. She listened to him as he whimpered and squirmed.

_"This must be what Naruto told me about earlier,"_ Danielle thought to herself. She yawned and sat up. She looked down at the squirming redhead and frowned.

"Gaara," she whispered, giving him a gentle shake. The boy shot up, breathing heavily. His body was trembling and tears were starting to stream down his cheeks. "Are you alright?" Danielle asked him softly. Gaara jerked his head to her, having forgotten that she was there.

"D-Danielle," he stammered, his body still trembling. Danielle slowly wrapped her arms around him and drew him close. Gaara laid his head on her chest, letting the tears roll freely down his cheeks. Danielle ran her fingers through his short red hair, trying to get him to stop trembling.

"Talk to me Gaara," she told him, her voice barely above whisper. "What has gotten you so upset?" Gaara's body started to tremble even more as he thought about the thing that was destroying him.

"He's going to kill me," he whispered, clutching onto her shirt.

"Your father?" Gaara nodded. "No, he's not."

"Yes he is!" Gaara's body was shaking viciously now. Danielle squeezed him even tighter as he started sobbing.

"He's not going to touch you Gaara. We won't let him hurt you anymore." Danielle rubbed his back and tried to hush him.

"I'm…s-sorry," he choked in between sobs.

"It's alright Gaara. You've been through so much already. Get it out of your system."

Danielle continued to soothingly talk to him, helping her friend calm down a little faster. She didn't expect him to break down the way he did, but she didn't blame him for doing so. She could tell that he was really frightened and nervous about everything that was happening. On top of all that, he had been suffering from nightmares and hadn't gotten much sleep. He probably wouldn't have broken down so badly if it weren't for him being so exhausted.

After a while, Gaara had stopped crying and his trembling had decreased. Gaara focused his attention on Danielle's voice, finding it soothing. His head was against her chest, so he also listened to the beating of her heart and the sound of her breathing. He tried to get his heart rate to match hers and focused on breathing at the same time as she did. He found that this kept him from thinking about any bothersome thoughts.

"Better now?" she asked sweetly, looking down at her friend. Gaara nodded, but didn't remove his head from where it was resting. "Do you want to tell me about your nightmare now or tomorrow?"

"It was him," Gaara whispered. "He tried to kill me again."

"Again?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Thursday night, he had tried to strangle me." Danielle hugged him a little tighter.

"I didn't know that." Gaara nodded.

"I fought back. For the first time, I actually fought back."

"I'm glad you did, otherwise it could have been a lot worse." Gaara slowly pulled away from her and looked into her eyes.

"Thank you Danielle." The girl smiled and nodded.

"I better be able to count on you if I have need of a shoulder to cry on, you got it?" Gaara smirked slightly and nodded. Danielle lay back down and looked up at Gaara through tired eyes. Gaara lay down beside her, hesitantly wrapping an arm around her. Danielle blushed slightly, but knew that Gaara couldn't see her in the dark. Her heart began to race and she did her best to ignore the mixed feelings she was getting.

Gaara was blushing as well. He wanted to pull his arm away, but at the same time he didn't. For some reason, it felt almost natural. Danielle didn't seem to mind, so he tried to let go of any negative thoughts.

Gaara closed his eyes and slowly fell asleep.

* * *

**_Well, that's it! I was so excited to post this chapter up. I was going to break it up into sections and build suspense, but I just couldn't stop typing. I really got into this chapter. _**

**_Thank you to my wonderful reviewers:_**

_**Lyris88-** Yeah, but I don't hate Kakashi enough to do that to him. I just love to hate Sasuke. I'm always being mean to him, and it just way too much fun. Muwahahaha! When I was working on the sound crew, I had that pleasure of ripping tape off of the females. I tried to be nice about it, but there wasn't really any easy way to do it. The dude who was doing this tried to scare all the men by saying that he was going to use gaffer's tape on them. I don't think I spelled it right, but it is apparently a super strong tape that would really hurt to get it ripped off._

_**Angel Fate of the Desert-** Well, in my opinion, they are a lot closer, wouldn't you agree?_

_**Moonlight0101-** I hope that this was soon enough for you._

_**GothKid12-** Did this seem kind of dramatic to you? In my opinion, it kind of did in some parts. I think the main reason I have been updating faster than some other authors is because I type my chapters up a lot faster. I will literally procrastinate on other things just so that I have time to sit down and write. Writing is my passion. If I were allowed to, I would write for hours upon hours non-stop._

_**NeferNeferi-** I know! Lol. I just love poking fun at Naruto sometimes. It's just so much fun! Yeah, the journal entries were kind of hard to write. I'm trying to portray their emotions just right and I'm purposefully keeping the relationship at a slow pace. I mean, I really hate the finding true love at first sight type of themes. Especially with Gaara._

**_Thank you to all the people who favorited my story or put it on their alert list. I'd love to hear from you, especially for this chapter. I worked really hard on it, so I expect a little more out of it. _**

**_It's going to be a while before the next chapter gets posted, and I really mean it this time. I really am swamped. It's the end of the school year and the teachers are being brutal. Plus, it's my junior year in high school, so I have all these tests coming up. Next week I have my ACT test, two weeks after that I have my SAT, and then a week after that I have my AP Psychology Exam, and then the whole week after that, I have my final Exams for all my school subjects. I also have a thesis paper due at the end of this month, and I have no clue what I am going to do it on. sighs_**

**_I would try and post up another chapter in between all of this crap, but the thing is, I don't have anymore typed up chapters. I would normally procrastinate on stuff and type up the chapter, but I really want to do good for the last 2 months of school._**

**_I will type up as much as I can, send it to my wonderful beta reader, and then post it. Please forgive me._**

**_Please Review!! _**


	12. An Awkward Sleepover

Gaara was woken up by Danielle running her fingers through his hair. He looked up at her with sleepy eyes, blinking a few times. The room was filled with sunlight because someone had pulled up the blinds. He softly groaned to himself and looked around the room.

"What time is it?" Gaara grumbled questioningly.

"2 in the afternoon," she answered with a smirk. Gaara sat up and rubbed his temples with the palms of his hands.

"Why didn't you wake me earlier?"

"Iruka told me to let you sleep in. Plus, I figured that you could have used the extra sleep." Gaara sighed and threw the covers off. As he did so, Naruto appeared in the doorway.

"How are you feeling Gaara?" Naruto asked. There was concern in his eyes and for once, he had an air of seriousness around him. Gaara looked up at Naruto with blank eyes, but didn't say a word. Naruto sighed in frustration. "Why won't you talk to me? What did I do?" Gaara averted his eyes to the ground. He instantly looked up into Danielle's eyes when he felt her hand on his shoulder. She didn't need to say anything. Gaara got the message just by the way she was looking at him. He looked back over at Naruto and shook his head.

"I'm sorry Naruto," he apologized. "I'm just not in the greatest of moods right now." Naruto sighed, but nodded.

"You know, that was all you had to say and I would've left you alone. You haven't taken any of your meds yet. Are you in any pain?" Gaara put a gentle hand on his side and nodded.

"Just a little," he told him.

"So do you think you'll be okay with just taking some Tylenol?" Gaara nodded. "Then I'll be right back." Naruto disappeared, leaving Danielle and Gaara alone.

"Why are you acting so cold towards him?" Danielle asked him quietly. Gaara looked down at the floor with sad eyes.

"I honestly don't know," he sighed.

"I take it that you're just in a bitter mood." Gaara nodded.

"I've been this way since I came back from the hospital, and I haven't really been able to find any relief."

Danielle stared off into space for a few minutes, lost in thought. She was brought back to her senses when she noticed that Naruto was standing in front of them. She watched as Gaara took a sip of water, swallowing the pill that Naruto had given him. When Gaara had finished, he handed the glass back to his blonde friend and thanked him.

"Gaara, I just wanted to make sure you were alright with me leaving tonight," Naruto told him. "I really don't mind staying here." Gaara shook his head.

"You have been looking forward to this for awhile," Gaara commented. "You should go."

"What is he going to?" Danielle asked out of curiosity.

"A youth group that I go to is having a lock-in tonight. I'll be gone from 7 tonight until 7 tomorrow morning. That's why I was asking Gaara if he wanted me to stay. I kind of feel bad about leaving here all by himself."

"I'm used to it," Gaara reminded him.

"I know, but you're at my house, so it's a bit different."

"Gaara can stay over at my house," Danielle suggested. The two boys looked at her questioningly. The girl just smiled and shrugged.

"I don't know Danielle," Naruto told her, doubt in his voice. "I'm not sure if Iruka is going to like that. He almost died of a heart attack when he found out that you slept with him." Danielle frowned and sighed.

"It's not like we did anything, or even had any intentions of doing anything! Besides, this is a bit different.!." By this time in the argument, Gaara's face was a beet red color. He hadn't intended for everyone to know about what had happened the night before.

"We have a spare room that Gaara is more than welcome to stay in. That is, if Gaara even wants to." The two teens looked at the red-head. Gaara thought for a moment.

"I don't care," Gaara sighed.

"Great! Then you can just come home with me when I leave."

"Which will be when, exactly?"

"We can leave when Naruto leaves. I told him that I would kick his ass in SOCOM 4." Gaara gave her a weird look. She smirked. "You'll see."

"No he won't, because I am the master of that game," Naruto jeered. "Not even Sasuke has been able to beat me."

"Alright then! Let's put your skills to the test."

"You're on!"

**XOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOX**

Gaara was sitting on Danielle's bed with his back against the wall. Danielle was wearing a pair of light purple pajamas with little frogs on them, and Gaara was wearing a pair of gray sweat pants and a black t-shirt. Danielle had put in a "My Chemical Romance" CD, since Gaara had never heard of them before.

"Gaara, tell me something that I don't know about you." Gaara looked at her with a questioning look.

"Like what?" he asked. Danielle shrugged.

"I don't know. If I knew, then I wouldn't be asking this question." Gaara thought for a minute, looking down at his hands that were placed on his lap.

"I don't know how to swim." Danielle smirked at him.

"Really?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. Gaara nodded. "Then you're going to have to learn. I can teach you sometime over the summer." Gaara nodded.

"What about you? Tell me something I don't already know." Danielle brought her index finger to her chin and thought hard.

"When I was 7, I brought a garter snake inside our apartment and put it in my mom's pillow case. I was mad at her for something, but I don't remember why I was mad at her anymore." Gaara smirked.

"I didn't think that you were so evil." Danielle grinned and giggled.

"Tell me about your siblings," Danielle told him. Gaara close his eyes and smiled slightly.

"They're okay, I guess. They are the only ones in my family that even remotely cared about me. Before my older sister moved out for college, she used act like she was my mother. I didn't really mind, because I liked the feeling of having someone who looked out for me. She was really bossy though. That's the only thing I didn't like. Still, Temari and I got along pretty well. My older brother Kankurou is a pervert. He changed a little, now that he's older. He's always getting into arguments with Temari, and it's quite entertaining." Gaara opened his eyes and looked across the room to see that Danielle was grinning at him. "What?" he asked, giving her a weird look. Danielle giggled.

"It's nothing bad," she told him. "It's just, you seem so happy when you talk about your siblings. I never really get to see you in a happy or good mood. It's a nice change." Gaara just stared at her. He knew that she was right though.

He shook it off a few moments later and sighed.

"I told you about my siblings," he began, "so you have to tell me about your parents." Danielle nodded.

"My mother played the cello and my dad played some piano and the percussion. For my 5th birthday, he bought me a little drum set." She paused and giggled. Gaara smirked, guessing what had happened next. "My father didn't seem to mind so much, but I drove my mother up a wall. My father told me that if I just practiced the simple rhythms that he had taught me, mother wouldn't be upset with me playing it. The only thing was that I was just having so much fun jamming out on my drums. I didn't want to have to play those stupid, boring patterns."

"That doesn't really tell me much about them," Gaara told her, still smirking. Danielle shrugged.

"Both of them were really busy people. They were both in this orchestra, so we had to travel around a lot. I didn't really see them very often, and if I did, it wasn't the way that a family relationship was supposed to be like. The times that we acted like a true family were usually on holidays or on my birthday. Still, I guess that's better than never." Gaara nodded.

"So, how did you and Naruto become friends? I've been kind of curious about that." Gaara smirked, bringing a knee up and hugging it against his chest.

"I had moved here a little over 2 years ago and so I was new," Gaara began to explain. "I was really bitter when I first moved here. I don't really remember what happened, but Naruto and I got off on the wrong foot somehow." Danielle giggled.

"Really?!" Gaara smirked and nodded.

"Not even 2 weeks into the school year, the two of us got into a fist fight. We ended up in the principles office and were getting recommended for suspension. The whole time we were in there, we just glared at each other. We didn't even say a word. It took awhile, but the two of us kind of started to form a bond. It was small at first, but it eventually grew into something bigger and we became best friends." Danielle giggled again.

"You guys are so weird."

"What about you and Neji?" Gaara asked, raising an eyebrow. "You two seem pretty close." Danielle nodded.

"It started with Hinata and me becoming friends. I would hang out at her house, and since Neji lives there, we would often see each other. We eventually just started hanging out, and now we tease each other and stuff. He's kind of like an older brother to me."

The two teenagers grew quiet when they heard someone knocking on the door. They watched as Layla stuck her head in and smiled at them.

"It's about time for you two to head to bed. It's already past 1 in the morning." Danielle sighed, but nodded. She stood up and looked down at her red-haired friend.

"I'll show you to your room," she told him. Gaara nodded and stood up. He followed the raven haired girl out of the room and into the guest bedroom. She turned to him and smiled.

"Are you going to be alright?" she asked. Gaara closed his eyes and nodded. "Okay, but if you need anything, you know where my room is." Gaara nodded again and opened his eyes.

"Goodnight," he said softly.

"Goodnight," she replied back to him. Danielle quickly turned and left the room. Gaara turned out the light and got under the covers. He closed his eyes and slowly fell asleep.

* * *

**_Hey everyone! I know that it has been awhile, but I have been super busy lately. I just took my ACT test yesterday morning, and I'm not so sure if I did very well. I am such a slow test taker that I didn't even have enough time to finish everything. It sucked._**

**_I should be working on my thesis paper right now, since a big hunk of it is due tomorrow and I am nowhere near ready. I also have to figure out what I'm supposed to do for this chemistry lab thing, which could take a while because I am pretty clueless as to what I am supposed to do, but I decided to post a chapter first. I have 2 more chapters typed up so far, but since I'm not going to be able to type any new chapters for awhile, I'll post one next weekend and the other on the weekend after that. _**

**_Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers._**

_**Me and Gaara 4ever-** Thanks! I'm glad you liked it. Yeah, I love getting people on the edge of their seat. It's fun, and I seem to be pretty good at it._

_**NeferNeferi-** I'm glad you agree. I've just seen so many stories where Gaara's character has been butchered because of this "Love at first sight" crap. After all, Gaara is just now finding out what love really is, since he had never really experienced it before. I'm glad you liked this chapter. It's my favorite so far as well, and it probably will remain that way, just because of all the drama and thrill. Yeah, I don't know what it is with me and letters or notes or journals. I just like adding them into stories. Something will probably happen between them, when I feel like it probably. As for Gaara's father, I have this ending to the story, but it's really mean and evil and everyone will probably hate me for it. I'll probably put that ending on "A Helping Hand", since I don't really like that story anymore. That way I can just get it out of my system. Thanks!_

_**Angel Fate of the Desert-** I think it was the best chapter of the story too. I love drawing suspense! It's kind of my way of being evil, without actually being evil. Thanks!_

_**Lyris88-** I don't know about that. I might make Gaara's father come back into the picture at some point in the story, but I'm not really sure. Thanks!!_

_**GothKid12- **After I posted this chapter, I actually kind of thought about you for a moment and what you had said in some of your previous reviews. As for Danielle sleeping with him to comfort him, I love doing stuff like that. It's so sweet and so cute! It makes me feel all jittery inside. I'm glad that you like it! Thanks!_

_**Animestar001-** Yeah, it was really cute and kind of romantic. I thought it would be a good way to kind of get them closer together. As for putting more stuff like this in the story, I'm not really sure what you mean. Do you mean more romantic, fluffy scenes, or more hurt/comfort stuff? I'm not really sure how much more hurt/comfort stuff I can put in here without actually killing the story, at least at this point in the story anyway. I'm trying to avoid super fluffy scenes as much as I can, but I will probably end up putting one or two in somewhere, if or when they end up getting together. Thanks!_

_**Kina Lupi-** I'm glad that you liked this chapter. For the record, they never actually kissed yet. If you want to call the little peck on the cheek a kiss, which happened a few chapters ago, be my guest. Like I've said before, I'm taking it slow and building their relationship up before getting into any serious romance stuff. Thanks for reviewing._

_**Okay, so I'll post chapter 13 sometime next weekend. **_

**_Alright, I have a question for you all. We all pretty much know that they are going to get together, but I'm trying to figure out how to go about that. What I need to know now is if I were to do a situation in which one of them were to ask the other one out on a date, who would be the person asking? Would it be Danielle or Gaara, or a third party asking for them? Please let me know what you think by reviewing._**

**_REVIEW!!_**


	13. A Surprise Visit

It was 10 in the morning and the sun was shining brightly. Kankurou and Temari were walking up the walkway to Naruto's house. They had decided to pay Gaara a surprise visit instead of calling him. They wanted to talk with their brother face to face, especially on a matter that important.

Temari knocked on the door and the two siblings waited patiently. They smiled when Iruka opened the door and saw them.

"Good morning," he greeted, smiling uneasily.

"Good morning," the two of them replied.

"Is Gaara awake yet?" Kankurou asked with a smirk.

"Actually, he slept over at Danielle's house last night since Naruto and I weren't here." Kankurou and Temari looked at each other with surprise.

"Oh," Temari said, a little shocked. "Is there a way we can get a hold of him?" Iruka smiled and nodded.

"I can give you her address." The two of them nodded.

"That would be great!" Kankurou answered. "I wanted to meet this Danielle girl anyway."

**XOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOX**

Gaara was sitting up in his bed, hugging his knees to his chest. He had just woken up from another nightmare. His breathing was shaky and uneven, but he seemed to be able to keep himself under control.

_"When will this leave me?"_ Gaara wondered to himself.

Gaara looked up when he heard someone knocking on the door. Danielle quickly slipped into the room and jumped onto the bed, almost causing Gaara to fall over. Danielle smiled at him and Gaara returned it with a glare. Danielle immediately understood that he wasn't in a good mood. Her smile quickly faded and was replaced with a look of concern. Gaara sighed and buried his face into his knees.

Danielle scooted a little closer to the redhead and placed a gentle hand on his head, ruffling his hair. Gaara slowly raised his head and looked at her through sad eyes.

"You had another nightmare, didn't you?" Gaara let go of his legs and folded them in front of him, sitting Indian style. He nodded and looked down at the floor.

"Is this ever going to stop?" he asked softly. Danielle sighed.

"It's going to take some time Gaara," she told him. "Nothing like this has ever happened to me, so I'm not completely sure. When I'm upset or when something is bothering me, I try and do something to cheer me up. You're lucky though, because you have people to help you with that." Gaara looked up at the grinning girl and managed to smile a bit. She giggled and ruffled his hair again.

"Come on!" she chirped as she hopped off the bed. "After you take your meds, we can eat some breakfast!" Gaara nodded and slowly got up from his bed. He followed the hyperactive girl down the steps and into the kitchen. While he took his medicine, Danielle got out to bowls, 2 spoons, and two different types of cereal.

Gaara sat down at the table and waited while Danielle poured herself a bowl of Frosted Flakes. She smiled at him and passed him the box.

"Do you want milk?" she asked as she walked over to the fridge.

"Sure," he replied softly. Danielle set the milk down in front of him and poured chocolate milk into her bowl. Gaara gave her a weird look, causing Danielle to giggle.

"What?!" she asked.

"Chocolate milk?" Gaara asked, raising an invisible eyebrow.

"What of it? It's good with Frosted Flakes!" Gaara nodded and shoveled a spoonful of cereal into his mouth.

After breakfast, Danielle got up and stretched, raising her arms over her head and towards the ceiling. She looked down at Gaara and smiled.

"I'm going to go and do some deep breathing," she told him. Gaara gave her a confused look. She giggled and shook her head. "That's what I call it anyway. It's just a way for me to relax and recollect myself. My aunt makes me do it so I don't go raising hell." Gaara nodded and stared down at the floor. Danielle turned away from him, but stopped when she heard his voice.

"Can…I join you?" he asked, hesitance evident in his voice. Danielle spun around on her heel and grinned.

"Of course you can!" She walked back over to him and took his hand. She pulled him out of his seat and started dragging him toward the living room. She let go of him and popped a CD into the CD player, pressing 'play'. She then lay herself down on the floor and stared up at the ceiling. Gaara gave her a strange look, but lay down beside her.

The two of them were silent for a few minutes, listening to the classic music that filled the air. Gaara liked the music. It was calm and relaxing and was different from anything he was used to. He liked trying different things every now and then, and this was one of those times that he didn't mind trying something new.

"Do you like classic music?" Danielle asked. Her voice was soft and carefree.

"It's alright," Gaara answered. "It's not my favorite or anything, but I don't mind listening to it. What about you?"

"It's the same with me. I can listen to it at certain times, but that's about it. I love playing it though. It's a lot more fun than just listening to it."

"I wouldn't know," Gaara sighed. "I can't play an instrument to save my life." Danielle giggled.

"And I can't draw to save my life." Gaara looked at her and smirked.

Just then, the doorbell rang. Danielle sat up and grinned.

"You stay here," she told him as she got to her feet. "I'll be right back." Gaara nodded and closed his eyes. He listened to the sound of Danielle's footsteps as they faded away.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOO**

Danielle opened the front door and stared at the two visitors in surprise. She had no idea who they were, although they looked kind of familiar. They both looked a few years older than her. She guessed that they were probably in their early 20's. One of the two was a female. She had blonde hair that was pulled back into 4 small ponytails. The boy that was with her had brown hair and weird purple tattoos on his face.

"May I help you?" Danielle asked politely. The blonde haired girl nodded.

"Are you Danielle?" she asked. Danielle smirked and nodded. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Temari, and this is my brother Kankurou. Iruka told us that Gaara had stayed the night over at your house, so we came over here to see him." Danielle looked at the two strangers, taking in their details. After a few moments, her lips curled into a smile.

"You're Gaara's older siblings, aren't you?" she asked. The two smirked and nodded. "I can kind of see the family resemblance. Anyway, come on in!" Danielle stepped off to the side and closed the door behind the two siblings.

"He's in the living room," she told them, leading the way down the hall.

"Gaara!" Danielle squealed as she entered the living room. The red haired boy quickly sat up, startled by the sudden high pitched noise. His eyes widened when he saw his siblings standing behind his friend.

"What are you guys doing here?" he asked, still a little surprised. Kankurou chuckled.

"We thought that instead of calling you," he began, "we could come up and visit. We want to make sure that you're doing alright."

"And we wanted to meet your girlfriend," Temari added, grinning evilly. Gaara's eyes got even wider at the mention of the word.

"She's not my girlfriend," Gaara muttered, his cheeks glowing a light shade of red. He looked at Danielle and saw that she was blushing too.

"What are you guys doing _**here**_ for?" Gaara asked, getting agitated. The two older siblings smirked at each other and looked back over at Gaara.

"We need to talk little bro," Kankurou told him. "How about you get your stuff together so we can go and discuss something?" Gaara sighed and nodded. He got to his feet and walked over to Danielle.

"Will you give me a hand?" he asked. Danielle smiled and nodded, skipping ahead of Gaara. The two teens bounded up the stairs and got Gaara's things together.

"Call me later," Danielle told him as she walked with him down the stairs. Gaara smirked and nodded.

**XOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOX**

* * *

**_Like I promised, here is another chapter. I've been worrying myself really badly about this stupid thesis paper. I think that all this stress is getting to my head and is causing my writing to suck. I don't know. I've re-written chapter 16 over 4 different times, and I hated each version. GRRRR!! I'm so frustrated right now! sighs_**

**_It's okay. I think I'm alright now. Thanks to my reviewers. All the reviews I have gotten over the weekend have cheered me up immensley, because I have been super depressed this weekend for some reason and then getting frustrated from having to do this project. Thank you reviewers!_**

_**offender229-** Thanks for the idea. Having Naruto play match-maker seems to be quite a popular suggestion._

_**Angel Fate of the Desert-** Well, that's kind of how Naruto and Gaara's friendship happened in the series. There was that big fight against them and then they somehow became friends. I didn't want to get rid of that element, just because it's an AU. Thanks for the suggestion._

_**Yume Ninja-** Thank you._

_**the lost kitsune 4-** That's okay. Yeah, I agree. Gaara isn't really the forward type of person._

_**Me and Gaara 4ever-** thank you. I'm glad to hear it._

_**Hana-Takahashi-** Thanks for the suggestion. It seems like Naruto is very popular in the role of match-maker, so I think that I'm going to use him in some way._

_**Lyris88-** Thanks for all the wonderful suggestions! Looks like you were thinking really hard. Lol. Thanks again._

_**GothKid12-** Hmmm... I can't really say much about Gaara's father, except to not count him out of the story completely, not yet anyway. I'm glad that you enjoyed that last chapter. Thanks. I'll do my best not to fail school, though I'm not making any promises. XP_

_**NeferNeferi-** Thank you, as always. I don't know why, but it seems like the emails that I have been sending to you haven't been getting to you. I'm not really sure what's happening. I sent you a couple throughout the week last week, but I don't think it has gotten to you. Strange. Anyway, thanks for the review and the suggestion. It would be kind of cute. I can imagine them both with their faces glowing red with embarrassment._

**_Okay, so those of you don't already know, I just posted up another oneshot. I'd love for you all to check it out. The title is "You Are Not Alone". Please take a look at it. I'd bee super happy._**

**_PLEASE REVIEW!!_**


	14. Gaara's Decision

Gaara was lying on his bed, looking up at the ceiling with blank eyes. He had decided to stay with Naruto for the rest of the school year, which only had two months left. Then he would spend the summer break with his siblings and come back to live with Naruto at the start of the next school year. He wasn't really sure why he had chosen to come back again next year, but something inside of him just wouldn't let him say goodbye to this place.

Gaara was currently thinking about the conversation he and his brother had had. He was doing his best to forget some of the stuff his brother had told him. Of all the times Kankurou could've given him "_the talk_", he had to choose that day.

Gaara shook his head, clearing his mind from those unwanted thoughts. Instead, he tried to focus on the other thing that he had talked to his brother about. He closed his eyes, remembering the discussion that they had had.

_**XOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOX**_

_"So, what's going on between you and Danielle?" Kankurou asked, raising an eyebrow with curiosity. Gaara looked at his brother with confusion._

_"What do you mean?" he asked, looking at his brother with puzzlement in his eyes. Kankurou frowned and sighed, realizing that his brother was completely clueless about intimate relationships._

_"You like her, don't you?" Gaara nodded. "And the two of you are friends, right?" Gaara nodded again._

_"Those are kind of obvious questions," Gaara pointed out. "I wouldn't be hanging out with her if I didn't like her."_

_"I know that Gaara. I wasn't finished." Gaara apologized and let Kankurou continue. "Do you think that you guys could be more than just friends?" Gaara blushed, looking down at the ground in an attempt to hide his embarrassment. Kankurou chuckled and put a gentle hand on his brother's shoulder._

_"I'm not sure," Gaara told him softly. "How can you tell if you like someone that way?"_

_"That's kind of hard to say, Gaara. It's a little different with everyone." Kankurou thought for a moment. "You should be able to figure it out. Does she make you feel weird at all?" Gaara looked back up at his brother and nodded._

_"I don't know what it is though," he sighed. Kankurou smirked at his little brother and chuckled again._

_"I think that you have yourself a little crush on her." Gaara's eyes widened and his cheeks turned a bright red color. "And the fact that you are blushing only convinces me even more."_

_"So what do I do?" Gaara asked, his voice almost inaudible._

_"Ask her out!" Kankurou couldn't believe that his brother was so clueless. "See if she'll go out on a date with you." Gaara looked down at the ground with blank eyes, Kankurou's words ringing through his head._

_"What happens if she says no?" Kankurou frowned and sighed again._

_"You always think way too negatively. If she says no, then she's just not the girl for you. Besides, why would she say no?" Gaara looked up at his brother and smiled._

_"Thank you, Kankurou." His older brother smirked and nodded._

_"No problem little bro!"_

_**XOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOX**_

Gaara sighed to himself and rolled over onto his side.

_"How am I supposed to ask her?" _he wondered to himself.

**XOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOX**

Danielle sat on a small stool in front of a large mirror while her aunt French-braided her long black hair. Danielle looked at her aunt's reflection on the mirror and spoke.

"Auntie," she began. Layla looked down at her niece and smiled.

"What is it Danni?" she asked.

"If I ask you something, will you promise not to laugh?" Layla smirked at her niece's question.

"I'll do my best, but I can't make any promises." Danielle sighed.

"Alright, how do you know if you're in love?" Layla's eyes widened.

"You're still a little young. Do you think that you might be in love?" Layla looked into the mirror to see her niece blushing. Layla chuckled, picking up some more hair and continuing to braid it.

"I think so," Danielle told her with embarrassment. Layla nodded.

"I wouldn't really call it love yet," Layla told her, chuckling a little bit. "I think it's more of a crush, or puppy love. Do you know if this certain boy feels the same way about you?"

"I don't think he does," Danielle sighed. "I'm not really sure though."

"Now, who's the boy?" Layla asked with curiosity. Danielle blushed even more. She brought her fingertips to her mouth, biting on her nails. "Stop that Danni!" Layla scolded. "That's not good for you." Danielle put her hand on her lap and sighed.

"I know, but I just can't help it."

"That's why it's called a bad habit. Now, tell me who the guy is." Danielle sighed again.

"It's Gaara," she mumbled. Layla grinned.

"Redhead?!" she asked happily.

"Yes, it's redhead." Layla chuckled and nodded. She tied off the braid she had been working on with a black ponytail-holder. Danielle turned around to face her aunt and glared at her when she saw her grinning.

"I'm glad that you're enjoying this," Danielle pouted, "because I'm not." Layla let out a deep breath and put a gentle hand on her niece's shoulder.

"What's wrong sweetheart?" she asked.

"What am I supposed to do? I want to tell him, but I don't want to make our friendship suffer because of me. He just finished going through something really traumatic. I don't want to upset him anymore."

"Then give it a little bit of time," Layla suggested. "Don't rush into anything. Just continue hanging out like you two have been doing, and make sure that you're being true to yourself. As for wrecking your friendship with him, if you two are true friends, it shouldn't phase anything. Gaara seems like the type of person who can forgive and forget easily." Danielle smiled and nodded.

"Thank you auntie," she thanked. Layla smiled and wrapped her arms around her niece, pulling the young girl into a hug. Danielle giggled and hugged her aunt back.

"You're welcome Danni," she whispered into her ear.

* * *

**_Well, there was chapter 14. I hoped you guys liked it. I know it's not as long as some of my other chapters, but it's 6 pages on microsoft word, and it's over 1,000 words. Some chapters will be shorter than others, on account of each chapter is basically another major event._**

**_Thanks to all of my wonderful reviewers!_**

_**NeferNeferi-** Yuppers! There was to be interaction between our wonderful couple-to-be. I hope that this chapter helped to hint on where this was going. Thanks!!_

_**Angel Fate of the Desert-** Hope this chapter answered some of your questions. Thanks!_

_**slack-jawed-cheese-hugger-** Sorry if it was sad! Whoops, I do that sometimes. Thanks for the review!_

_**GothKid-** It's nice to know that someone understands the pain of school. Lol. Thanks for the review. This chapter was short, but I hope you liked this one as well. Thanks!_

_**Lyris88-** Alright, I love it when one of Gaara's siblings has to give him "**the talk**". I think it's hillarious. Hope this chapter answered your question. Thanks!_

_**Yume Ninja-** Thanks a bunch._

**_Alright, this weekend was prom weekend, and tonight was prom night. I didn't go to prom, but in exactly 2 hours, I am going to be going to school for the after prom. I'M SO EXCITED! I'll be there from 12:30am-5am, so I am going to be dead tomorrow. I still haven't read any of that book that I was supposed to read over the weekend, but I don't really care. I don't know how she would've expected us to read at all on the prom weekend. _**

**_My thesis paper is done for most part. All I have to do is come up with a concluding paragraph. The only big homework that I have over the week is studying for my SAT which is next Saturday, and studying for the AP exam on May 13th. I'll use whatever spare time I have to write more of this story so that I can keep a chapter each week._**

**_PLEASE REVIEW!! It will make me super-duper-bubbly-n-happy!!_**

**_THANKS TO ALL WHO HAVE STUCK WITH THIS STORY SO FAR!! YOU ARE ALL AMAZING!! WOOT!_**


	15. Dear Journal

April 1st, Tuesday

_April 1st, Tuesday_

_Today was so embarrassing! I swear, when it comes to opening doors, I'm so slow. I was trying to get inside the dentist office, but the door wouldn't open. My aunt had to point out to me that I was supposed to PULL the door open, not PUSH! I laughed so hard. To make things even worse, I did the same thing on the way out. I tried to PULL, but I was supposed to PUSH. I hate those stupid doors! _

_DO NOT READ!!_

_I talked to my aunt about these weird feelings I've been having for Gaara. I told her that I think I'm in love with him, and she told me that it's just a crush. I don't know. All I know is that he's the only one that makes me feel this way, so it must mean something. _

_My aunt suggested that I ask him out. I really want to, but I'm afraid that Gaara doesn't feel that way about me. What if he gets freaked out and doesn't want to be my friend anymore? What should I do? I'm honestly thinking about giving it a go. I need to find out what will happen. I'm going to wait a little longer though, since Gaara just got out of the hospital a little over a week ago. I don't want to make him upset again or anything, so I'm going to wait just a little while longer._

_I asked Gaara if he has been having any more nightmares recently. He has had a few, but he said that they weren't as bad as they had been before. I'm happy that he has been getting better, and he hasn't been so snippety at Naruto. That's good too, since they are living together and all._

_DANIELLE MIYAKAZI_

_**XOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOX**_

_**April 2nd, Wednesday**_

_**I keep learning new things about Danielle. Today I learned about one of her fears, and from a firsthand experience. Here's what happened.**_

_**We were hanging out in my room, since Danielle had come over to help me study for psychology. Ibiki-sensei's tests are killer. He's always making trick questions and phrasing them weirdly so that you answer incorrectly. Anyway, after a while I had left to go get us something to drink. I wasn't even gone for two minutes when I heard Danielle screaming at the top of her lungs. Of course, I came rushing into the room just as she came rushing out and we collided into each other.**_

_**Danielle was still screaming and tried to hide behind me. When I asked her what was wrong, she pointed into my room and screamed about a tarantula being inside. I go into my room and sure enough, there is a spider crawling up my wall. It wasn't a tarantula though. It was only a wolf spider, although it was rather big. I left for the kitchen and got a cup and a piece of paper. I then went back into my room and easily caught the spider. As soon as I came out with it, Danielle started screaming bloody murder again and ran away from me. I couldn't help but smirk as I took the thing outside and let it go.**_

_**When I went back inside to check on Danielle, I found her curled up on the couch. Her body was trembling and there were tears slowly rolling down her cheeks. I hadn't known that she was so upset over something as harmless as a spider. I asked her why it scared her so much, and she told me that she had always been afraid of them. She was afraid to be bitten, by any type of spider. Apparently, when she was 7 years old, she had tried to face her fears but did it with the wrong spider. She was bitten by a black widow and had to be hospitalized. I guess I can't blame her. She's actually afraid of most bugs, but mostly spiders.**_

_**She's quite strange, that Danielle. She's not afraid of lizards or snakes. In fact, she caught this garter snake and tried to make me hold it. She wanted to keep it as a pet but her aunt wouldn't let her keep any pets in the house. She even named the stupid snake.**_

_**GAARA**_

_**XOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOX**_

_April 4th, Friday_

_I'M NOT IN THE BEST OF MOODS!!_

_Tonight I had my piano recital, and guess who my aunt had secretly invited? GAARA AND NEJI!! Why did THEY have to be there?! I know that I shouldn't be so angry since I did really well. I'm mad because of what my aunt forced me to wear._

_I had to wear this "cute" little dressy dress. I hated it! The dress was a bright __**pink**__ and ended about an inch above my knees. It had all this __**lace**__ and__** frilly stuff**__ on it too. It was __**HIDEOUS**__!!_

_My face was so red when I saw that Neji and Gaara were there. Neji wouldn't let me hear the end of it and even Gaara chimed in!! They had better watch their backs because I am totally going to get my __**REVENGE**__!! I wonder if it would be too mean of me to use super glue._

_DANIELLE MIYAKAZI_

_**XOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOX**_

_**April 5th, Saturday**_

_**Danielle invited me over to her house today, along with Neji. Apparently, it was all a trap though. She even got her aunt in on it. We were going to go out into the backyard to kick a soccer ball around. As soon as we walked out the back door, Layla sprayed us with the hose. Nonetheless, I was pissed and Neji seemed to be too. We were soaking wet after that, and we were freezing cold.**_

_**Afterward, they gave us towels and hot chocolate, but we were still pretty pissed. I guess we kind of deserved it though, especially after what we did the night before. Plus, I'd rather be soaking wet than have my hand super-glued to a porno book for a week. That was her other plan, but she thought she would be nice and just hose us down. I'm glad because that other plan would have been completely embarrassing.**_

_**GAARA**_

_**XOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOX**_

_April 6th, Sunday_

_I HAVE GOTTEN MY REVENGE!!_

_It wasn't really what I had in mind though, but my aunt wouldn't let me superglue porno books to their hands. Hosing them down was the only other thing that I had in mind. It was rather funny though. I was nice to them afterward, and let them dry off. I even gave them hot chocolate._

_Neji and Gaara are great! I love being mean to them sometimes, but we always know that we are just joking. My favorite thing to do is make them blush. It's super easy to make Neji blush, because all you have to do is say something about his relationship with Tenten and his face turns a whole different shade of color. It's hilarious because when he blushes it really shows. It's because he has fair skin. Gaara is the same way, although it's not as easy to get him to blush. I don't know why, but Naruto is really good at it. He won't tell me how he does it though. He's such a stubborn blonde._

_DANIELLE MIYAKAZI_

_**XOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOX**_

_**April 12th, Saturday**_

_**I don't think I have been as worried as I have been today. At least, not since I got away from my father. Even though it's all over now, I'm still trembling a little bit.**_

_**Danielle, Neji, and I went to the park today. We were playing Frisbee Golf and it was fun for a while. Danielle ended up getting stung by a bee and she started panicking. We told her to settle down and that we would get her some ice, but she didn't stop. She told Neji to call for an ambulance. We both thought that she was just joking, but she wasn't. Tears were streaming down her face and she was frantically digging through her purse. Neji tried to get her to settle down so that he could get the stinger out, but when he approached her, she shoved him away.**_

_**We finally realized the danger she was in when she took out an epi-pen and jammed the needle into her thigh. That's when Neji took out his phone and called for an ambulance. I knelt down beside Danielle and tried to calm her down. I got the stinger out and watched over her. I let her lean against me and did my best to keep her from scratching her skin. After 20 minutes, the ambulance still hadn't arrived. Danielle started having trouble breathing and her vision was apparently getting blurry, since she said that everything looked all smashed together. She had me take out her other epi-pen and inject it into her thigh. I have never done anything like that before, so I was afraid that I was going to hurt her. Still, I did what needed to be done and the ambulance showed up shortly afterward.**_

_**Neji and I visited her at the hospital a little later. She was out cold and they had her on a respirator to help make her breathing easier. I didn't like seeing her that way, hooked up to all those machines and all. I wonder if that was how I looked when I was in the hospital.**_

_**Danielle's Aunt said that she would be released soon and that she would be okay. Neji and I were both happy to hear that. I don't think that I have ever had to deal with someone suffering from a severe allergic reaction before; I hope that I never have to go through it again.**_

_**Summer break is slowly closing in, which also means that I'll be staying with my siblings for about 2 months. I have told myself that I would tell Danielle about my feelings for her, but my time is running out. I just don't know if I'll be able to do it.**_

_**Why does this have to be so hard?**_

_**GAARA**_

* * *

**_Well, here's chapter 15. Yay! We're moving along nicely, wouldn't you agree. I thought that it would be nice to put in some more background detail about Danielle and more about Gaara's feelings._**

**_Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers. I'll mention names, but I'm way to beat to write much of a response. My SAT test is tomorrow, and I really need to go to sleep, even if it is rather early. Anyways, thanks to all these peoples:_**

**_Angel Fate of the Desert, NeferNeferi, Yume Ninja, Lyris88, GothKid12, and Nikki Mustang._**

**_You people are beyond amazing and are the reasons that I'm posting on a bit early. Thanks for all the support. You all rock!!_**

**_Please review! It will make me so happy._**


	16. Awkward Cuteness!

Danielle was walking down the hallway with her backpack slung over her shoulder. She was heading out towards the back parking lot, but was stopped when she felt someone tap her on the shoulder. She spun around and grinned when she came face to face with her red-haired friend. As she looked into his eyes, she suddenly remembered the conversation she had had with Naruto sometime earlier.

_**XxOOOOOOOOxX**_

_"Hey Danielle, can I tell you something?" Naruto asked. Danielle gave the blonde a weird look._

_"Like what?"_

_"Well, you know that Gaara has a crush on you, right?" Danielle raised an eyebrow at him._

_"You're kidding me!" The blonde shook his head and smirked._

_"I just wanted to give you a heads up. He wants to ask you out on a date, but he's super nervous. I don't know if you like him that way or not, but be easy on him."_

_"When is he planning on asking?"_

_"He wants to do it today, but I'm not sure if he'll be able to do it."_

_"Are you calling him a wimp or something?"_

_"You know Gaara just as well as I do. You should know that he isn't really the type of person to do stuff like this."_

_Danielle knew that Naruto was right. Gaara wasn't really the person to share his feelings with people. She was glad that her friend had warned her about this. She was still going to wait until Gaara approached her though. It wasn't that she didn't believe Naruto. She figured that she would give him a chance to ask her himself, or at least try and ask her._

_**XxOOOOOOOOxX**_

"What's up Gaara?!" she asked cheerfully. Danielle smirked to herself when she saw that Gaara was blushing slightly, which made her completely believe what Naruto had told her earlier.

"I wanted to ask you something," Gaara mumbled. He looked down at the ground with nervous eyes. "I-I….was wondering….i-if….."

"Are you trying to ask me out?" Danielle asked with a smirk, raising an eyebrow at the redhead. Gaara immediately looked up at her in surprise, a light blush painted on his cheeks.

"Y-yes," he admitted, blushing even more. He looked back down at the ground, trying to hide his red face from her.

"Alright Gaara, I'd be more than happy to go out with you!" Gaara looked up at her with slight shock. "I was actually planning on asking you out myself, so it looks like you saved me the trouble. When and where?"

"Tomorrow, but I don't know what you want to do."

"It doesn't matter to me. Do you just want to see a movie?" Gaara nodded. "Alright, then I'll leave it up to you to pick the movie. Call me later with what time it starts, okay?" Gaara nodded again and watched as Danielle skipped off down the hall.

Gaara stood there for a few minutes, going over everything that had happened. He felt like an idiot.

_"She was going to ask me?"_ he wondered.

"Did you ask her?" Naruto asked his friend as he appeared beside him. The redhead just nodded. Naruto chuckled and took Gaara by the arm, pulling him down the hallway. "We're going to miss our bus if you don't hurry up!" Gaara let Naruto pull him along, leaving his trust with the blonde. He was mentally gone, lost in his own realm of thoughts.

**XOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOX**

Danielle was in her room listening to her Evanescence CD while she was putting on her makeup. She was currently wearing a dark purple, black, and lime green plaid mini skirt with a black cammi and black and lime green tennis shoes. Her long black hair had been pulled up into a messy bun. After she finished putting her lip gloss on, she looked up at the clock and smirked. She grabbed her purse and car keys and headed downstairs.

"I'm going to go pick Gaara up and we'll be heading out for the movies!" Danielle hollered out to her aunt. "I'll be back before midnight, I promise!" With that being said, Danielle ran out the door.

**XxOOOOOOOOxX**

Danielle smirked at Gaara, who was looking out the car window. She could tell that he was nervous, which didn't surprise her. Still, he seemed a lot calmer than he had been earlier that day.

"Which movie are we seeing?" she asked, glancing at Gaara before averting her eyes back to the road.

"The Forbidden Kingdom," he sighed. "It was the only movie that sounded even remotely interesting." Danielle laughed and nodded.

"That's fine! I don't really mind, which is why I had you choose." The redhead went back to staring out the window with a look of boredom on his face. Danielle smirked at him and turned up the radio.

**XxOOOOOOOOxX**

After the movie had ended, Danielle and Gaara went to the park and got a Popsicle from a Popsicle stand. The two walked down the path together, licking their frozen treats and talking.

"That was such a lame movie!" Danielle laughed. Gaara smirked at her and nodded.

"There wasn't much to choose from."

"I'm not blaming you for anything. I liked it and all; It was one of those good lame movies." Gaara stuck his cherry Popsicle into his mouth and began sucking on it. Danielle did the same and the two of them walked through the park in silence.

"I had fun tonight." Gaara looked at his friend with a kind of shocked expression.

"Really?" She nodded and smiled.

"I'd like to do something like this again sometime." Gaara's eyes widened when he felt Danielle take hold of his hand, intertwining her fingers with his. His heart started racing uncontrollably and he felt kind of sick all of a sudden. Instead of letting go, Gaara held onto it tighter. He almost feared that if he let go, they would be separated forever. He didn't want that to happen. He liked her ALOT.

Danielle smiled when she felt Gaara squeeze her hand back. Maybe this meant that he really did have feelings for her. She wasn't really sure, but she knew that being around him made her happy. It was true that he was always quiet and reserved, but she liked that about him. He didn't need to say anything for her to know that he cared, at least somewhat.

**XxOOOOOOOOxX**

Danielle dropped Gaara off around 11:00 p.m. As soon as he walked through the front door, he was jumped by Naruto. Gaara glared at him, obviously upset with the blonde for knocking him to the floor.

"What do you want Naruto?" Gaara asked as he sat up. Naruto smirked and pinned Gaara to the floor, putting a knee on his chest.

"You're not going anywhere until you talk," Naruto told him with an evil grin.

"I just did."

"I mean about the date." The redhead struggled beneath the blonde, not liking how he was being asked.

"Get off of me Naruto, or I'm not saying a thing." The blonde sighed and released his friend. Gaara sat up and punched Naruto in the arm, causing the blonde to start whining. "You started it," Gaara reminded him.

"I know. Just get on with the details."

"What details? We just saw a movie, got some Popsicles, and had a short walk in the park."

"That's it?! You guys didn't kiss or anything!" Gaara stared at the blonde with wide eyes.

"No! Were we supposed to or something?" Naruto smirked and shook his head.

"I wouldn't know, but she's not really your girlfriend until you kiss each other." Gaara looked down at the ground with emotionless eyes before getting up and going into his room. He got dressed into some more comfortable clothes, turned out his light, and crawled under his covers. He lay on his back for a while, staring up at the dark ceiling.

_"What happens next?"_ Gaara wondered to himself. _"Do we kiss?"_

**XOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOX**

Danielle lay on her bed, staring at the new picture that she had added onto her wall. It was an oil-pastel drawing of the dragon of death, which was placed next to the fairy of death. The dragon was made completely out of bones and instead of breathing fire, it sucked out the souls of the living. The main reason she liked it was because Gaara had drawn it for her. She would have never guessed that he was such a good artist.

Danielle sighed, closing her eyes. She thought about what had happened earlier that night with Gaara. She could feel her cheeks getting hot as she thought about how she had held hands with him. She didn't really understand it, but she liked the feeling she had when she had her hand in his.

She felt her cheeks grow even hotter as she thought about how Gaara's lips would feel. She grabbed her pillow and buried her face into it, feeling extremely embarrassed. No one knew what she was thinking, but she still felt kind of weird to be thinking about it the way she was.

_"Gaara isn't probably thinking about stuff like this,"_ Danielle told herself. _"I'm probably the only one who feels this way."_

* * *

**_The moment we have all been waiting for has finally come! Sort of! Hehehe._**

**_Hello all. Yes, I am posting a bit early and I have a few reasons for that. 1.) GothKid12's birthday was on May 3 so I thought I would give a bit of a late present. 2.) My ACT scores came in the mail today and I am fairly proud of myself. I did slightly above average, which is fine by me. 3.) I have been feeling abnormally happy lately, which is super weird, especially since there has been a few bad things that has happened recently. 4.) I still have another chapter typed up and ready to be posted, so I won't have much trouble coming up with another chapter for Sunday, although I'm thinking about rewriting it because I have a bit of an idea._**

**_Thanks to my wonderful reviews._**

_**Lyris88 -** I feel the same way. I hate spiders and I'm terrified of wasps, bees, and hornets. I get the chills just thinking about them. It would be funny to see Kakashi's reaction. Maybe I'll do that as a bonus chapter or something._

_**GothKid12-** Happy Belated birthday! I'm glad that you liked the last chapter. I hope that you liked this one as well._

_**Yume Ninja-** You're welcome and thank you too._

_**Nikki Mustang-** Yeah, needles scare me sometimes too. And to think that I'm letting someone talk me into getting accupuncture. Thanks._

_**XxUnDeadDreamsxX-** Thanks a lot. That means so much to me. It makes me feel all happy and bubbly, especially since I'm always putting myself down on things. Thanks again._

_**AddictedtoBleach-** Thanks. I will._

_**Readerfreak10-** okay, lol. Thanks. I appreciate honesty, and I'm very glad to hear it. It makes me happy._

**_Thanks everyone! You guys are all amazing and you guys make me want to write more and more. Heck, sometimes I get so happy that I just put everything aside to get some writing in. I don't mind doing it, especially if I know that there are people who like it._**

**_Please let me know what you thought about this chapter. REVIEW!_**


	17. Just Hanging Out

Danielle was woken up the next morning by the sound of her cell phone ringing. She groaned as she sat up in her bed. She picked her cell phone up from her bedside table and flipped it opened.

"Hello?" she yawned.

"I'm sorry, did I just wake you?"

"Good morning Gaara! Yeah, but that's okay. I should be getting up anyway. So what's up?"

"Everyone is going to be gone today, so I was wondering if I could come over or if you could come over here."

"Sure Gaara! How about I come over to your place?"

"That's fine."

"Then I'll be over in about an hour."

"I'll be waiting for you then."

Danielle flipped her phone shut and smiled to herself. She put her phone back down on the nightstand and got out of bed. She got dressed and ate a quick breakfast before leaving to Gaara's house.

**XxOOOOOOOOxX**

Gaara let Danielle inside and the two of them walked into the living room and sat down on the couch.

"So what do you want to do?" she asked the redhead. He shrugged.

"I really don't care. Do you have anything in mind?"

"Not really, but I have to leave by five. I have an orchestra concert tonight and I have to get ready for that."

"What time does it start?" Gaara asked in curiosity.

"It starts at 6:30."

"Do you mind if I tag along?"

"You want to come?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. Gaara nodded.

"I haven't heard you play cello yet, nor have I heard your orchestra."

Danielle smiled and nodded. "Alright, you can come. If you want, I can even give you a ride."

"That would be appreciated, since I don't even know where it is."

"Then you can either come back to my house with me at five, or I can pick you up at quarter till six."

"I'll just go back with you. So, what do you want to do until then?"

Danielle sighed. "I don't know Gaara! I thought you would've had something picked out for us to do!"

Gaara shrugged and smirked at her. "You should know that I don't plan that far ahead."

Danielle chuckled and nodded in agreement. "You're definitely right about that." Danielle thought for a moment, trying to come up with something for them to do. "Draw me."

Gaara gave her a weird look. "Draw you?"

Danielle nodded. "Do you have any better ideas?"

Gaara shook his head and got up. "I'll be right back." Gaara left the room and came back a few minutes later with a sketch pad, a drawing pencil, and an eraser. He put the stuff down on a chair that was across the room from Danielle. He walked over to her with a smirk on his face.

"If I'm going to draw you, I get to choose your pose."

Danielle giggled and nodded in agreement. Gaara had her lay down on her side with her front facing him and had her prop her head up with her hand. Gaara took a few steps back to see if he liked what he had done. Content with her body positioning, he sat down in his chair. He glanced up at her and began drawing.

Danielle smiled, watching Gaara as his pencil glided across the paper. He looked up at her every so often to make sure that he was getting all the little details right. Other than that, he didn't take his eyes off his work. His facial expression seemed to change as well. It was no longer the emotionless expression that he normally wore. His face was full of focus and concentration, as well as a bit of enjoyment.

It was close to an hour before Gaara finished the drawing. When he finally gave Danielle the okay to move, the girl immediately hopped off the couch to see how he did. Her eyes lit up with amazement upon seeing the drawing. Although it was just in black and white, he seemed to still capture all the specific details. All the curves and lines were perfect. She was amazed at how good he was.

"You're amazing," she whispered.

Gaara looked down at the ground, a little embarrassed about all the praise. Danielle seemed to notice that he was uncomfortable about it, so she gave him a little space.

"Now what do you want to do?" she asked.

"I don't know," he answered softly.

Danielle heaved an aggravated sigh. "You're really bad at helping, aren't you?"

Gaara shrugged. "We can study for the Psychology quiz tomorrow," Gaara suggested. Danielle's eyes widened with surprise.

"The quiz is tomorrow?!" He smirked and nodded.

"I'm guessing that we should study then."

"Well yeah! I don't even know what the quiz is supposed to be over!"

"It's over the mental disorders. We have to be able to recognize the symptoms for each disorder and be able to diagnose which one it could be."

"You have your notes, right?"

Gaara nodded. "Let's go study in my room."

The two of them stood up and walked out of the living room and into Gaara's room, shutting the door behind them.

**XOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOX**

After the orchestra concert, Gaara made his way through the crowd to where Danielle was. She was putting her cello back into its case and was locking it up. He tapped the girl on the shoulder, causing her to spin around in surprise. Her surprise quickly turned into happiness once she saw her red-haired friend.

Unlike most of the girls in the orchestra, whom were wearing skirts, Danielle was wearing a nice pair of black slacks. Being a cellist, this was understandable. On the top, she was wearing a white blouse. Her hair had been pulled back into a French braid and was tied off with a black ribbon.

"I hope we didn't put you to sleep," she giggled, putting her case back down. Gaara shook his head.

"I liked it," he told her. "How come you didn't tell me you had a solo?"

"I was kind of nervous about it, so I didn't say anything." Gaara nodded in understanding.

"You sounded really good," he assured her. Danielle grinned and threw her arms around him. Gaara's body stiffened as he stood there. He was slightly surprised that she was doing this.

"Thank you Gaara," she whispered in his ear. Gaara felt a chill go down his spine. Danielle sensed Gaara's tension and let go of him, apologizing for overreacting.

"Are you about ready to go?" she asked as she picked up her cello case and took her car keys out. Gaara nodded and followed Danielle out to the car.

**XOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOX**

_**April 20th, Sunday**_

_**DO NOT READ!**_

_**I went with Danielle to her orchestra concert. I was amazed at how well they did, and it wasn't as boring as I thought it was going to be. They did a bunch of these songs that were in minor and had this sinister feel to it. I actually kind of liked it.**_

_**After the concert, I met up with Danielle. I congratulated her on doing a good job and suddenly she throws her arms around me, embracing me. I don't know why I'm letting it bother me so much. In actuality, I liked the sensation. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not. All this relationship stuff is just too complicated for me to understand. What in the hell am I supposed to do? Are we even boyfriend and girlfriend? I'm not really sure. I wonder if other people have to go through this shit too.**_

_**GAARA**_

* * *

**_Here's the next chapter. I hope that you all liked it._**

**_Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers._**

_**Readerfreak10-** Not yet, but it will happen soon. I'm not going to rush completely rush it and make it happen so unnaturally, but I'm not going to make it take forever either._

_**Me and Gaara 4ever-** I know! Thanks._

_**AddictedtoBleach-** Thanks._

_**the lost kitsune 4 -** I wasn't really planning on it, so okay._

_**Nikki Mustang-** I know, right. I love making Gaara blush. It's so CUTE! I like good lame movies too, they are so much fun._

_**NeferNeferi-** Thanks. I appreciate it._

_**Angel Fate of the Desert-** Thanks. Hope this gives you some insight._

_**Yume Ninja -** Thank you._

_**GothKid12- **Thanks so much for this review. I really appreciate the extra time you put into it. Thanks ever so much for the advice. I will let you and everyone else in on a couple of things, since you make a good point. In a while, there will be a bit of a "special". It will probably be one or two chapters, I'm not really sure at this point because it is a developing idea. The point of view will change for this, and only for this because I think that it will have a better effect. This will hopefully add a little hill to this platoe and add a little spice to this, but it depends on who you are I guess. I will also use this as an opportunity for other characters to get involved. This probably won't happen for another 3-5 chapters, I kind of forget where I am at the moment. Lol. Also, about the antagonist, he'll make his appearance again. I'm not sure when at this point, but he's not out of the picture yet. Now you have something else to look forward to. _

**_Thanks to all of you. I will let you know when that little "special" thing that I mentioned is coming up. I really don't want to change the point of view, especially since it is only going to be for 1 or 2 chapters, but I think that it will be way more effective in first person. You won't have to worry about that for awhile though._**

**_Please REVIEW!_**


	18. Ultimate Frisbee

Gaara was sitting with Danielle on her bed, working with her on their final English project. They had been working on it for over an hour and had gotten a bunch of it done already. Gaara was currently drawing some things that they would be pasting onto the poster while Danielle actually wrote stuff on the poster board.

"Do you think of me as your girlfriend?" she asked randomly. Gaara looked up at her in shock, a light blush painted across his cheeks. He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. The black haired girl smirked at him playfully, waiting for him to answer.

"I…I don't know," he admitted. "I really don't know what to think about all of this."

"You like me, don't you?"

"Of course I like you! It's just…"

"Do you want to keep going out and stuff?" Gaara nodded. "And you don't want me dating another boy."

"No I don't want you dating another boy!" His blush deepened in color, causing Danielle to giggle softly.

"Then you should think of me as your girlfriend." Gaara stared at her with emotionless eyes. He could feel his heart racing and extreme happiness washed over him like a wave. Even so, the only thing that Danielle could see that gave away his happiness was a small, almost hidden smile that formed on his lips. She grinned as well and continued writing pieces of information onto the piece of poster board.

"Do you think of me the same way?" he asked softly. She looked back up at him and smiled.

"Of course I do! I wouldn't have brought any of this up if I didn't feel that way about you."

"Do we… have to kiss?" Danielle gave him a confused look. "Naruto said…" She cut him off after hearing Naruto's name.

"Naruto doesn't know shit," she laughed. "We don't have to kiss until we are ready. I believe that it will happen when it's meant to happen." Gaara looked at her blankly and nodded before going back to drawing the pictures for their project. Danielle also went back to writing out the information on the poster board once more.

"Want to see another movie on Friday?" Gaara asked, not looking up from his drawing.

"I'd love to," she giggled, still writing.

**XOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOX**

It was Friday, the last day of school before the weekend and the day that Danielle and Gaara were supposed to go to the movies together. The two teenagers were currently in gym, playing Ultimate Frisbee outside in one of the open fields. Danielle and Gaara were on opposite teams, which was what they preferred. They actually got to hang around each other more if they were on opposing teams rather than on the same one. Plus, they enjoyed taunting and competing against each other. Gaara almost always won, since Danielle had no athletic skills whatsoever, but every now and then, she would somehow manage to beat him by a little. She figured that Gaara was just being nice and taking pity on her.

"Get out of my way!" Danielle giggled, trying to push Gaara out of her way. He smirked at her fruitless attempts. "Fine, if you're not going to move, then I'm going to leave." With that being said, she spun around on her heel and started walking away. He watched her leave with slight amusement. She turned around and stuck her tongue out at him. She then stood there, waiting for the Frisbee to get thrown to her.

After a few minutes, the disc finally came sailing her way. Gaara watched her with a smirk as she ran after the disc, not taking her eyes from it. His eyes widened in shock when she fell to the ground, missing the Frisbee entirely. Danielle cried out in pain and clutched onto her ankle. Gaara and Anko immediately ran to her aid. Gaara watched as the teacher checked her ankle out.

"It doesn't feel like anything is broken, but you should go to the nurse anyway," Anko told her. "Can you walk?" Danielle was helped to her feet. As soon as she tried putting pressure on her hurt ankle, she gasped in pain.

"I don't think so," she answered, pain eminent in her voice.

"Gaara, take her to the nurse and then report back here." The redhead nodded and put Danielle's arm over his shoulder.

The two walked across campus together. Danielle did her best not to put step on her ankle too hard, but it still caused her pain. Gaara noticed this, not liking the pained look on her face. He stopped walking and the girl looked at him with slight confusion.

"What is it Gaara?"

"If it really hurts that much, you shouldn't be walking on it." Danielle frowned and sighed.

"Well, it's not like I'm going to crawl to the -"

Before she could finish her sentence, Gaara had scooped her up in his arms and was carrying her toward the nurse's office. Danielle wrapped her arms around his neck, blushing slightly.

"You don't have to carry me," she told him softly.

"I know, but you were taking too long." The raven-haired girl smirked, knowing that he was just teasing her. He wasn't the type of person that liked to admit that he felt bad for someone. He never showed many emotions, concern being one of them. Sure, he showed a small amount of concern every once in a blue moon, like when Danielle had been stung by the bee, but that had been under different circumstances. That was life threatening, whereas hurting one's ankle wasn't that big of a deal.

Nurse Shizune stared at the two of them with wide eyes as they came into her office. She watched as Gaara set Danielle down in one of the chairs and turned to leave.

"He carried you all the way here?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. Danielle blushed and nodded. "Well that was nice of him. What seems to be the problem?"

"I hurt my ankle," Danielle explained. The nurse nodded and examined it.

"I'll go get some ice for this and call your aunt for you. It's probably just a sprain, but I think you should have it looked at just to be sure." The teen nodded and sat back in the chair.

_"This is just great!" _she thought to herself. She sighed and sank lower in her chair. She was kind of tired of visiting the hospital as a patient. It was really getting annoying.

**XOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOX**

Later that night, Gaara was dropped off at Danielle's house. He held a DVD case in one hand and knocked on the front door with the other. He waited a few minutes until it was answered by Layla. The older woman looked at Gaara with slight surprise.

"Hey Gaara," she greeted happily.

"Is Danielle okay?" he asked. Layla grinned and nodded.

"She's alright; she just has a minor sprain. She won't be able to go out to the movies though." Gaara nodded and held up the DVD case. Layla laughed and nodded. "Smart! Come on in, Danni is up in her room. Just go right up."

Gaara entered the house and trudged up the stairs. He walked down the hallway and knocked on his friend's bedroom door.

"Come in!" Gaara opened the door and looked at the girl who was lying on her bed.

"Gaara!" she squealed happily. "What are you doing here?! I meant to call you to tell you that I couldn't go to the movies. I'm so sorry." Gaara nodded.

"I kind of figured that already," he sighed. "I brought over a movie instead." Danielle grinned and sat up. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed looked up at her red-haired friend.

"Could you help me get downstairs?" she asked sweetly. He nodded again and helped his friend to her feet. He put her arm over his shoulders and the two slowly made their way down the stairs and into the living room. Gaara set Danielle on the couch and put the disc into the DVD player and pressed 'play'. He sat down on the couch next to his friend and watched the screen.

Gaara's eyes widened with surprise as Danielle scooted closer to him, leaning up against him. He could feel his body stiffen, but he did his best to hide the feelings of discomfort. Hesitant at first, he slowly draped an arm over the girl's shoulders. As he did so, she snuggled closer to him, resting her head against his chest.

Danielle smiled as she heard Gaara's frantic heart beating. She knew that she was kind of invading Gaara's personal space, but she also knew that if he had a problem with it he would let her know. He wouldn't necessarily say anything directly, but his body language would let her know when she was crossing the line. Although he was probably a little uncomfortable, he wasn't making it obvious like he normally would, which was a good sign.

"Thanks for coming," she thanked him softly. Gaara nodded.

By the time the movie ended, which was about two hours later, it was almost midnight. Gaara looked down at Danielle and was surprised to find that she was sound asleep. He looked down at the girl that was sleeping against him, unsure of what to do. He didn't want to wake her, but he couldn't just stay there all night long. Iruka would be coming to pick him up any minute now.

"Is she asleep?" Gaara looked up to see Layla standing in the doorway, smirking at him. Gaara nodded. "Just try to lay her down on the couch. I'll go get a blanket for her." Layla left and Gaara carefully slid out from beneath Danielle. He placed one of the couch pillows beneath her head and laid her down. Layla came back a few minutes later and tossed the blanket at him. Gaara caught it with ease and covered his sleeping friend with it before walking away.

"I'll call her tomorrow," he told Layla softly. The woman nodded and smiled.

"Thanks for coming to visit. I'm sure that made her extremely happy." He nodded and left. He walked down the walkway, just as Iruka pulled into the driveway. He sighed to himself and got into the passenger seat.

"Did you have a good time?" Iruka asked as the redhead buckled his seatbelt.

"It was alright," Gaara told him emotionlessly.

_"It was more than alright,"_ Gaara thought to himself as they drove back home. _"The feeling I got when she was close to me, I didn't want it to go away. Could this really be love?"_

* * *

**_Hi everyone! Well, that was chapter 18. I hoped you all liked it._**

**_Alright, let me tell you where I am in the progress of this story. I have one more chapter that is ready to be posted, which I will do next weekend. I have 4 more chapters typed up as well, but I need to send them to my beta-reader before they can be posted. I'm hoping to send them to her today, but she has final exams coming up, so it might be awhile, which is perfectly fine with me, because I have exams coming up as well. Good luck with your exams NeferNeferi! Chapter 21 marks the first of the "special chapters" in which the view point will change from 3rd person to 1st person, but only for the special chapters._**

**_Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers. I will respond privately from now on, only because I think it's faster and because I've been busy, and because I'm lazy. I'll still mention all who reviewed because you guys are so amazing and you all deserve it._**

**_Thanks to:_**

**_GothKid12, Yume Ninja, the lost kitsune 4, Lyris88, Nikki Mustang, AddictedtoBleach, Readerfreak10._**

**_Thanks again to you all. You are all amazing and I can't thank you enough._**

**_Look for chapter 19 next weekend._**

**_Review!_**


	19. I'm Going to Miss You

Danielle still went to school on Monday, although she wasn't allowed to participate in gym. There was only a week of school left so their journals had been turned in so that they could be graded before school ended. Danielle and Gaara were now at lunch, eating and talking.

"I can't believe you're leaving on Saturday," Danielle sighed. Gaara looked at her with sad eyes. He felt kind of bad about leaving, but he really wanted to stay with his siblings. He hardly ever got to see them during the school year, so he wanted to spend the summer with them.

"You know that you could always come and visit for a few days or whatever," Gaara told her. Danielle smiled and nodded.

"I know that. I'm just being whiney." Gaara smirked and continued eating. "Can we hang out on Friday night, if you're going to be leaving Saturday morning?" Gaara nodded.

"I'd like that." Danielle grinned and giggled happily. He rolled his eyes at her, smirking to himself.

**XxOOOOOOOOxX**

It was Thursday night and Gaara was getting a start on packing his things so that he wouldn't have to worry about them the next day. Naruto stood in the doorway, smirking at the redhead. Gaara had been ignoring him for most of the time, but he was beginning to get on his nerves.

"What do you want Naruto?" Gaara asked, sighing. He took a stack of clothes and shoved them into his suitcase.

"I don't want anything," Naruto replied smugly. "I just came to bug you." Gaara glared at him over his shoulder.

"So you're that bored, huh?" Naruto grinned and nodded. He happily walked into Gaara's room and sat down on his bed, staring at the redhead with lively blue eyes.

"You haven't kissed Danielle yet, have you?" the blonde asked, smirking evilly. Gaara's face turned a light shade of red as he intensified his glare at the blonde.

"So what if I haven't?" he shrugged.

"You're leaving on Saturday, and I just thought that it was kind of sad that the two of you haven't kissed yet. I mean, you're going to be gone for over 2 months." Gaara's frown slowly turned into a smirk.

"At least I talked to Danielle. You haven't said a word to Hinata about your crush on her." Naruto face turned a bright red.

"You have evaded me this time, but this isn't over." Naruto stood up and slowly left the room. Gaara sighed to himself and continued packing his suitcase.

**XxOOOOOOOOxX**

Danielle was sitting on the railing of the wooden bridge, Gaara sitting right beside her. She let her feet dangle beneath her, the tips of her toes just barely touching the water. She looked out into the horizon, watching as the sun set behind the trees. She loved the pretty colors that painted the sky. They all made her feel so warm and happy.

"I talked to my siblings to see if you could come and spend a week with us sometime this summer," Gaara told her softly.

"And what did they say?" she asked curiously.

"They said that it was fine. Temari was thrilled, since she's the only girl." She giggled a little bit and nodded.

"Cool, then I guess I will be waiting for an invitation from you." She went back to looking at the sunset, a smile drawn on her lips.

"Danielle?"

"Hmmm?"

"Are you okay with me leaving?" he asked. Danielle looked back into his eyes and smiled.

"Of course Gaara," she answered sweetly. She placed her hand on top of his, surprising Gaara slightly. "They're your family, and you should be with them. Plus, you said that I can come and visit so I will be fine until then." Gaara smiled slightly, which made Danielle giggle.

"What's so funny?" he asked, slightly confused.

"I'm not laughing because I think it's funny. I actually don't know why I'm laughing. I just think it's so cute when you smile." Gaara blushed slightly, turning his face away from her. She giggled some more. "Aw, seeing you blush reminds me of when I kissed you on the cheek last Christmas. Your face got so red." Gaara bit his bottom lip, trying to prevent himself from blushing even more. He jumped slightly when he felt her scoot closer, giving him a small pat on the shoulder.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I didn't mean to get you all embarrassed. I'll stop, okay?" Gaara shook his head and put his hand on top of the one she had on his shoulder.

"It's not that," he whispered. He looked up at her, his face mostly back to its normal hue. The two of them became entranced with each others eyes. Danielle could feel the space closing in between them, but she didn't stop it. She couldn't have stopped it even if she wanted to. She could feel her cheeks burning red as their lips met. The two of them stayed that way for several moments, until they were interrupted.

"I knew you could do it Gaara!" a certain blonde screeched from behind them. Danielle jumped, causing her to lose her balance. Gaara tried to keep her from falling over, but ended up getting pulled into the lake with Danielle. The two of them made a loud splash as they hit the water. Naruto hurried over to the edge, peering down at his two friends as they broke the surface. His eyes widened in fear when he saw Gaara start to panic.

"Relax Gaara," he heard Danielle gasp. She grabbed him under the arms and began swimming him back to shore. After a few moments, the two were able to stand and they continued wading back to the shore. Naruto ran over to meet them, apologizing all the while. The two soaking wet teenagers glared daggers at him and continued to walk past him.

The two of them walked out to Danielle's car. She was rummaging through her trunk, looking for something they could use to dry themselves off with, or at least to keep her car seats from getting wet. Gaara had taken off his socks and shoes and was now peeling his shirt off and wringing it out.

Danielle sighed and slammed the trunk shut. Gaara looked up at her questioningly and she just shook her head.

"I am so fucking pissed at Naruto right now," she growled as she wrung out her shirt. Gaara nodded in agreement.

"Thanks for helping me back there," he thanked her softly, looking down at the ground with embarrassment. Danielle smiled and nodded.

"What did you think I was going to do, let you drown?" Gaara smirked. "Let's get home before we start to get any colder."

**XxOOOOOOOOxX**

Danielle pulled into Gaara's and the two of them just sat there. He looked at his friend with sad eyes and she looked back at him the same way.

"I'll call you tomorrow," he told her softly.

"I'll be looking forward to that." He smiled weakly and got out of the car, entering his house. As soon as he came in, he saw that Naruto was already there.

"Are you alright?" Naruto asked with concern in his voice.

"No thanks to you dumb fuck," Gaara growled, walking right past the orange-clad teen. He went into his room and got changed into some dry clothes. He collapsed onto his bed and let out a deep sigh. There was a part of him that didn't want to leave, but another part of him that did.

Gaara touched his lips with the tips of his fingers and looked at them as if he were expecting to find something. Of course, there was nothing there. The scene kept playing over and over in his mind, although he didn't necessarily want it to.

Gaara lay on his bed for three long and miserable hours, tossing and turning but finding no relief. Sighing in aggravation, he sat up and turned on his lamp. He went over to his things and took out his sketchbook and pencil and began sketching the image that was implanted in his mind.

The pencil glided across the paper and a picture began to take shape. Gaara made sure to be careful in drawing Danielle's delicate features. His eyes were fixated on the page and everything around him seemed to disappear. He lost complete track of time, which didn't matter to him because he knew that he wasn't going to get any sleep that night. The only thing that mattered at that moment was perfecting his drawing. He wasn't planning on stopping until it was done and was just like how he had experienced it.

* * *

**_Well there's chapter 19. Their first kiss! Can you believe it! I hope that you all are just as happy and excited as I was and still am! It was a weird chapter for me to write. I couldn't help myself on some of it, so sorry if you didn't like parts of it._**

**_Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers:_**

**_Lyris88, Readerfreak10, AddictedtoBleach, and GothKid12._**

**_The reviews really help me keep going, especially since I've been really worn down this week. The reviews really helped to motivate me into writing more and more. And just to let you guys know, the more reviews I get, the more tempted I am to post a chapter early. If there are enough reviews and I'm in a really good mood, I usually give in. Especially if it's a chapter that I am super excited about posting._**

**_Thanks again to all my wonderful reviewers. You're all amazing!_**

**_Please Review!_**


	20. A Visit from Danielle

About three weeks after Gaara had left to stay over with his siblings, Danielle received an invitation to stay with them for a week. Danielle was ecstatic about the invitation and immediately responded with a yes.

Gaara's siblings shared a good-sized apartment. When she saw Gaara for the first time in 3 weeks, she could tell that he was a bit shocked about the changes she had made in her appearance. She had cut her long hair, so now it went down to her chin. She had also gotten fiery red streaks in it. She felt kind of bad about changing so suddenly without him knowing, but he said that he didn't mind. It didn't look that way though.

**XxOOOOOOOOxX**

Danielle went into Gaara's room and sat down on his bed next to him. She looked at him with hurt eyes.

"Are you mad at me?" she asked softly. Gaara looked at her with shock in his eyes and shook his head.

"Why would I be mad at you?"

"You just look mad. I didn't think that you would mind if I did this."

"I don't mind," he assured her. "I like it." Danielle smiled and wrapped her arms around his torso. He slowly snaked his arms around her as well, giving her a gentle squeeze.

"What are you doing the rest of the summer?" Gaara asked, slowly pulling away from her. Danielle looked up at him and grinned.

"Neji and I are going to summer camp!" she exclaimed excitedly. Gaara smirked and nodded. "We're leaving next week and we'll be gone for about 4 days."

"Sounds like fun." Danielle stood up and looked down at him playfully.

"Let's go do something," she told him, holding out a hand for him to take. Gaara wasn't really feeling too well, but he pushed that aside. He took hold of Danielle's hand and allowed her to pull him to his feet.

"What do you want to do?" he asked. She shrugged.

"You're the one who has been living here recently. Why don't you tell me what there is to do?"

"We can go see a movie." Danielle grinned and nodded.

"Sounds like fun. I haven't been to the movies in awhile, so that's perfect."

"Then let's go."

**XxOOOOOOOOxX**

Two days went by rather smoothly. Gaara was able to hide the fact that he was feeling under the weather. His siblings enjoyed Danielle's company, which was good for him because they would be more likely to let her come over again. He just wished that he could enjoy her company like they were. It wasn't that he wasn't happy she was there, because he was. He was just feeling miserable.

Gaara got up on the morning of the third day feeling the worst that he had felt all week long. Groaning softly, he forced himself to sit up and get out of bed. He slowly walked to the kitchen, not surprised to find that Danielle was already awake and eating breakfast.

"Good morning Gaara!" she chirped happily. Gaara acknowledged her with a simple nod and walked over to one of the cabinets to get a glass out. Danielle watched him with curious eyes as he filled the glass up with tap water and then drank the clear liquid. When he finished he set the glass down on the counter. He turned around and began making his way out of the kitchen.

As Gaara kept walking, his vision began to blur and so it started to become harder for him to keep his balance. He stopped for a moment and blinked a few times, trying to clear his vision up again. Gaara leaned up against the wall for support, feeling as if his legs were going to give out from under him. He gasped slightly when he felt somebody touch him on the shoulder.

Danielle put Gaara's arm over her shoulders and started walking him back toward his room.

"Are you alright?" she asked her friend. "You don't really look too good." Gaara sighed and shook his head.

"No, I've been feeling like shit actually."

"Why didn't you say anything before?"

"I didn't want to make you feel bad." Danielle sighed and shook her head. She peeled back Gaara's covers and made him lie down. She put the back of her hand against his forehead and left it there for a few seconds before pulling it away.

"You're burning up Gaara," she sighed, pulling the covers up to his chin. "You're staying in bed until you get better, and I mean it." The redhead smirked and nodded. Danielle smiled and ran her fingers through his hair. "I can stay in here if you want some company for awhile."

"I think I'm just going back to sleep," he whispered. Danielle smiled and nodded.

"Alright, I'll come and check on you in a little while." She gave him one more pat on the head before getting up and leaving the room.

**XxOOOOOOOOxX**

Danielle came in to check on Gaara a few hours later and was happy to know that he was awake. She had a glass of water and half a sandwich with her. She sat down on the edge of Gaara's bed and set the two dishes down on his bedside table. She felt his forehead again with the back of her hand and sighed.

"Feeling any better?" she asked sweetly, caressing his cheek. Gaara shook his head slightly, causing her to frown. "Do you think you can eat something?" He shook his head again. She nodded and continued to caress his cheek.

"You can go home if you want," Gaara told her sadly. Danielle tilted her head to the side at him in slight confusion.

"Do you want me to leave?"

"No, but I don't want to keep you here if you don't want to be."

"I want to be here. I wouldn't want to leave you here like this."

"Thank you."

"Get some more sleep, okay? I'll come and check on you again later on tonight."

**XxOOOOOOOOxX**

Gaara woke up around 9 that night and was sweating profusely. He lay there for a couple of moments, staring up at the dark ceiling with blank eyes. He gasped and squinted as the lights suddenly came on. Danielle apologized casually and sat down on the edge of his bed. She took the cool wet rag that was in her hand and began bathing Gaara's sweaty face with it. She smiled when she heard the redhead sigh in slight relief.

"You don't have to," he whispered weakly. The black-haired female nodded.

"I know that, but I want to. I want to spend some time with you and the best way to do that right now is by taking care of you." Gaara just stared up at her through blank eyes as she continued wiping down his face. "Did that help?" she asked, pulling the rag away. Gaara nodded slightly and thanked her. She smiled sweetly and ruffled his hair before standing up.

"I'll see you in the morning. Hopefully you'll be feeling a bit better by then." Gaara sighed and closed his eyes as Danielle turned the light out and shut the door.

_**XxOOOOOOOOxX**_

_**Gaara's Dream**_

_**XxOOOOOOOOxX**_

_Gaara was sitting in the corner of his old room, the room he had when he used to live with his dad. He was sitting with his knees pulled to his chest and tears slowly trickling down his pale cheeks. His arms were bruised and his body was sore. His eyes were glued to his door, almost as if he were waiting for something to happen._

_Suddenly, he heard the cries of his siblings. His eyes widened in fear and he stood up from his place. He rushed over to the door and listened to his pleading brother, his sister, and a third voice. Fear slowly rushed over his body, but he somehow managed to fling the door open. What he saw before him was his worst fear._

_His father was standing in the hallway with a gun in his hand. He pointed it at his siblings, and at Danielle. Before Gaara could say anything, the trigger was pulled, sending a bullet into his older brother. Kankurou fell backwards from the blast, spilling blood onto the floor from his chest wound. Temari let out a cry for her brother before a bullet was put into her head. Danielle stood trembling in a puddle of blood, looking at the gunman with tears in her eyes._

_Gaara tried to call out her name, but his voice was gone. Nothing came out and he couldn't move even if he tried. Still, something caused Danielle to look his way and she seemed to notice him. She seemed to forget about the gunman as she smiled sweetly and held her hand out to him. Gaara was able to break away from the force that was holding him back and he reached out for her. Before he could reach her, though, she fell to the bloodstained floor. Gaara fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face. Everything that was precious to him had been pried away from him. Everything that he had waited for, everything good that ever happened was gone forever._

_**XxOOOOOOOOxX**_

"Gaara!"

The redhead was jerked from his troubled sleep. He was panting and looking around the room frantically. Tears slowly slid down his cheek and his body trembled. He stared at the three people standing beside him through his teary eyes.

"What's wrong baby brother?" his sister asked with concern in her voice.

"Was it another nightmare?" Danielle asked softly. Gaara's siblings looked at her in confusion. "I'll tell you later," she sighed. She approached the upset redhead and sat down on the bed with him. She wrapped an arm around him and he laid his head against her chest. She rubbed his back, letting him bury his face into her pajama top.

"This hasn't happened in awhile," she informed his concerned siblings, still comforting the redhead. "I'm guessing it happened the first week he got out of the hospital. I think he's just exhausted right now, and that is what is causing all of this chaos and stuff." She looked down into her arms and smirked.

"He's asleep, isn't he?" Kankurou asked, keeping his voice at a whisper. She grinned and nodded. She carefully moved him so that he was lying down with his head on his pillow. She pulled the covers up to his chin and turned away. She followed the siblings out of the room and quietly shut the door behind her. If Gaara weren't sick, she probably would have stayed in bed with him. That and if Temari and Kankurou weren't around. If they caught them together like that, they might take it the wrong way. She just hoped that he wouldn't wake up with another nightmare.

Danielle went into the living room with Temari and Kankurou and sat down in the armchair.

"He hasn't told us about having nightmares," Temari told her, taking a seat on the couch with Kankurou.

"Well, it's not really something he likes to talk about," Danielle reminded her. "I mean, who enjoys talking about things that are upsetting? Besides, he hasn't had any nightmares in quite awhile."

Danielle explained everything to Gaara's siblings, trying to fill them in on stuff and get them to relax. They listened and their conversation quickly changed subjects. They chatted quietly for about an hour when Gaara came stumbling out, tears streaming down his cheeks and his body trembling like before.

"Are you alright Gaara?" Temari asked in concern. Danielle stood up and walked over to her friend. She wrapped an arm around him and led him over to the loveseat and sat down with him. She pulled him into her and rubbed his back the same way she had done earlier.

"Do you want to tell us what's wrong?" Danielle asked sweetly.

"Not really," he whispered.

"That's okay Gaara," Kankurou told his brother. "You don't have to." Danielle put her cheek to his forehead and looked up at Temari.

"Do you have any Tylenol or something to bring his fever down?" Temari nodded and went into the kitchen. She came back a few minutes later with a small glass of water and two pills.

"Sit up and take this," she instructed. Gaara sat up and took the pills from his older sister, popping them into his mouth and taking a sip of water. He handed the glass back to her and sat back, laying his head on Danielle's shoulder. "Back to bed baby brother," she told him with a smirk. He blinked at her and sighed, standing up. Danielle got up with him and gave him some help walking to his room. She made him lay back down and she tucked him in under the covers. She sat down on the edge of the bed and looked down at him with serious eyes.

"Your dad again?" Danielle asked softly. Gaara closed his eyes and nodded. She reached out and caressed his cheek. "I'm sorry. Has this been happening recently?" Gaara shook his head.

"Last night was the first time in awhile."

"I think it's just because you're sick." Gaara looked up at her with dull eyes.

"Please stay here awhile." She smiled and nodded. Gaara closed his eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep.

**XxOOOOOOOOxX**

Two days went by before Gaara was well enough to get out of bed again. He was still weak, but at least he didn't have to be stuck in bed the last couple of days that Danielle would be staying there.

"I can't wait until my camping trip!" she squealed. Gaara nodded. "I'll probably be hanging around with Neji a lot so that he can kill all the spiders. That and so that when we go swimming, I can shove him into the water. You have to come to summer camp with us next year. It's so much fun!"

"I'm sure it is," Gaara sighed. Danielle rolled her eyes at him and smirked playfully. She inched her hand up his back and tickled the back of his neck, causing the redhead to gasp and jerk away. Danielle grinned and laughed.

"I know where you're ticklish!" she squeaked. Gaara glared at her for a moment before relaxing a bit.

"Why do you always do that?" he asked.

"Because I love getting that reaction from you," she told him with fake innocence.

"That's cheating."

"How so?" Gaara resumed his glare at her.

"I don't know where you're ticklish," he grumbled. Danielle smirked.

"That's because you're so modest and you don't get all close like all do." Gaara blushed slightly, turning away from her. Danielle sighed and scooted a little closer to him.

"It's alright Gaara," she told him. "I think that modest guys are sweet."

"So you're saying that I'm sweet," he inferred with a smirk. Danielle grinned and nodded.

"Yes Gaara, you are sweet but I bet that somewhere inside you're a perv." Gaara's face went red again and he narrowed his eyes at her.

"You always have to ruin things, don't you?" Danielle nodded and giggled.

"I'm sorry Gaara. I still love you."

* * *

**_There's chapter 20! Hope you all liked it._**

**_Alright, I have mentioned something about posting up some "special chapters". There are three chapters in this little break. So from chapter 21 to chapter 23, the story is going to be in 1st person POV and only for those 3 chapters. I will be posting chapter 21 on Thursday after school. Thursday is my last day of school, so I will be doing a lot of writing and stuff._**

**_Anyway, I hope that you all liked this chapter. Please review and let me know what you think._**

**_A big thank you to all the people who reviewed last chapter._**

**_GothKid12, wy, reader ninja, Yume Ninja, LadyAmazon, AddictedtoBleach, Lyris88, and Readerfreak._**

**_Thanks so much! You guys are as amazing as always!_**

**_Please Review!_**


	21. Summer Camp

**_REMINDER: From this chapter all the way until chapter 23, the point of view will be in FIRST PERSON. Just thought I'd give a little friendly reminder. D_**

**_SPECIAL CHAPTER #1_**

**Danielle**

Camp was so beautiful. There was a big open field that we could play field games in, the cabins looked nice and didn't really take much away from the environment around it, there was a beautiful lake on the southern side of the camp, and there were woods that surround the entire camp. There were many different trails that led throughout the woods and they all led to different places. It was beautiful. I love the nature, even though I'm not very comfortable with everything that's in it, like the creepy bugs for example.

Camp was so much fun as well! We did so many things and I made a few new friends. I loved it! I met this guy named Haku, who has long black hair and is a bit of a cross dresser, but is super nice. If he were a female, he would be a very pretty one. That's kind of weird to say, but it's true. He's a great swimmer and is probably the best one to have on your team for water polo or swimming races. Anyway, he's just really sweet. He's a great listener and always says the right thing, which makes him somewhat lucky as well. Those are definitely traits that you want to have.

The other day we went on an eight hour hiking trip. It was super long and tiring, but I thought it was fun anyway. I stuck around with Neji and his friend Lee and Haku stuck around me. We joked around with each other the entire time, although Haku just stood back and watched. Lee was practically running circles around us. I have no idea where he got all that energy, but someone really needed to zap it from him.

We also played ultimate Frisbee in the sport field, but we played it in the pouring rain. It was hilarious. There were people slipping and sliding all over the place. After awhile, this big mud puddle formed on one end of the field and some of the people stopped playing Frisbee and did some mud wrestling. Eventually everyone stopped the original game either to take a turn, or to watch the wrestling contenders. Neji ended up shoving me in, making me go against this chick named Kin. I really hated fighting against her. She had really long nails so she kept scratching me and I was afraid that it was going to get to the point where she would actually break the skin. I was smaller than her though, so I had a bit of an advantage. I was eventually able to pin her down, which was a big surprise for me because I had never been able to do that before. I made Neji go up against Haku since he had put me up against Kin. It was very interesting. Neji does martial arts, so I thought that he would have a bit of an advantage. Haku was really good though, and I mean really good. Their match went on for a good five minutes before someone finally stepped in and said that it was a tie. When Neji walked out of the little mud pit, he looked hilarious, although I'm sure that I did too. He was covered from head to toe in mud, as well as Haku. Their long hair was coated over, which made me feel kind of happy that I decided to cut mine. I knew that it was going to be a pain to get that gunk out. I miss my long hair and all, but sometimes when Neji is in a good mood, he will let me play with his. Haku let me play with his that night, after he had taken a shower.

Another one of my favorite events was the obstacle course. There is this trail that goes through the woods and then back through the camp. Along this trail there are obstacles such as a tube you have to crawl through, monkey bars, a rope swing, a net wall and a rock wall, a balance beam, and some other stuff too. I love rock walls! I'm not a very fast runner, but I can go for long distances. I'm also not the best at balancing, although I usually don't try very hard. I love rock walls though, because I can climb them so easily. I suck at all the other sports, but rock climbing is easy for me. My aunt says that it's because I'm part monkey. I don't think I am, because if I was, I would have a tail and I don't. Lee tore through the entire thing. In fact, he made it through the entire course, breaking the current camp record. Even after he had done all that, he still had the energy to run around and goof off. Going through the obstacle course just one was enough to get me tired out. I almost didn't make it back to the cabin because I was so exhausted.

Today is our last day, meaning that we are leaving tomorrow. We got to go swimming in the lake again today, which was a lot of fun. Neji wouldn't come in at first, saying that the water was too cold. It was a little chilly but it wasn't that bad. I got Lee and Haku to help me jump him and throw him into the lake. He was standing on the dock, wearing his swim-trunks and we tried coaxing him into the water. After about five minutes, we were kind of getting aggravated with him. Lee then snuck up behind Neji and grabbed him under the arms. Haku and I help by grabbing him by each leg. Then we just tossed him in. He was not happy but that's what he gets for being stubborn. He eventually got used to the water and we had a great time. We played with one of the big inflatable beach balls, hitting it back and forth to each other. I got smacked in the face with the stupid ball a total of four times. Three out of four came from Lee who tended to get overexcited and would hit the ball harder than necessary. I eventually got fed up with him and dunked him under the water several times. Neji was the first one to hit me in the face with the ball though, saying that it was revenge for coming up with the idea of throwing him into the lake. Actually, it wasn't my idea. Lee was the one who came up with the idea, but I think it was easier for him to pin the blame on me.

Later tonight, everyone is going to be hanging around the bonfire. I can't wait. We leave tomorrow around noon, but the college Neji is going to be attending is a little less than an hour away from here so we are going to be stopping by there first. It's in the opposite direction of where we need to be heading but we're out this far already, so it would be really stupid for him to have to make a four and a half hour drive to come back out here again. I really don't mind anyway. I would really like to see the college that he's going to be attending. He has already told me a lot about it so the only thing left is for me to actually see it. We probably won't be home until late at night, so I told my aunt about the possibility of that happening so she shouldn't be freaked out about us not showing up early.

**XOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOX**

**Gaara**

Danielle left for camp about a week ago. We would usually call each other about everyday and talk for a little while. It's kind of weird not hearing from her. About three days after Danielle had left I had gotten a postcard from her, along with a picture of her, Neji, and a new friend of hers. The three of them were covered in mud. The two boys were smirking while Danielle was grinning happily. It really looked as if she was having a great time, and I'm very happy that she was.

In other news, my dad has been released from prison on parole. Temari didn't want to tell me about it, knowing that I would get upset, but she told me anyway. I'm not too upset about it, or at least I don't feel upset. It's more of a worry feeling if anything. I keep running these _"what if"_ scenarios in my head and it has been freaking me out. The nightmares are starting to come back as well. They're not as bad as the ones right after he was taken away or when I was sick. They are starting to get to that point though. I've been getting less sleep now and I'm starting to feel the same way as before. Even when he isn't around my father still tortures me. I hate to admit it, but I fear him. He is truly my worst fear.

On a less disturbing note, Naruto finally mustered up the strength to ask Hinata out. I knew he could do it. It only took about two years to figure out that he really could. He called me up after he had asked her and was completely ecstatic. He was literally talking a mile a minute. I couldn't even keep up with him. He went on and on for about 10 minutes before I could get him to shut up and repeat everything again at a slower pace. I was rather impressed when I heard of his accomplishments. He wanted Danielle and me to go on a double date with him, but I told him that it would be kind of hard to do that since Danielle was about five hours away at a summer camp.

I'm happy that he finally asked her, because I was getting tired of hearing about it. I'm also kind of sad because I was able to hold that over his head so easily. I guess I'll just have to find something else to use against him. Finding a new source of aggravation will be fun in itself.

Temari has been trying to kick me out of the house, using the excuse that I need to make more friends. Why would I try and make friends with people around here? I'm going to be living with Iruka and Naruto again when school starts up again. I don't need any friends to last me the rest of the month. I'm content with just hanging out by myself. I have always been that way, not like they would know that though. They left me as soon as they got the chance. I used to think that they hated me. I'm still uncertain about all this _love_ stuff, but I know that they don't hate me. If they really hated me, then they wouldn't have kept me around for so long. They wouldn't worry over me the way they do. They actually show me compassion. Most of all, I feel like I can trust them with anything.

**XOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOX**

**Danielle**

I was pissed at Neji. We left camp somewhere around one o'clock and everything was going just fine. We walked around the college campus and he showed the apartment he was going to be staying in. We walked around for about three hours. At around four, I asked him if we could get going. I was tired and all I really wanted to do was go home. Neji said we would go after he did one last thing. I told him to hurry up and that I would be waiting in the car for him.

Neji didn't show up again for another three hours. I was furious at him. He tried to apologize, but I wouldn't hear any of it. We were both tired and frustrated, which made us get into a big argument. I ended up sitting in the back seat, not wanting to sit next to him because he was being a big asshole. We drove for about an hour and stopped by somewhere to get something to eat. I tried to tell him that I wasn't hungry but he wouldn't listen, which added to the flames. I just hate it when people don't listen to me.

We were pissed off at each other and nothing less. The entire time we ate, there was nothing but thick tension between us. We didn't talk at all and we barely even took a glance at each other. When we finished, we each paid our own bill and got back into the car. It was close to nine at night and we were still a good three or four hours away from home. Not only that, but it was dark outside. I say this because it's kind of hard to find your way in the dark, especially when you're in unfamiliar territory.

We drove for about an hour in pure silence. I glanced up at Neji every now and then, seeing a look of worry and agitation on his face. I kept quiet for awhile, but it started to bug me.

"Is everything alright Neji?" I asked softly. Neji sighed and shook his head.

"I don't know," he groaned. "This doesn't seem right. I don't remember going down this road on the way up here."

"Maybe you just took a wrong turn somewhere."

"Maybe, but I'm not sure. Could you get the map out and check it for me?" I nodded and turned on the car light before searching through his things.

"Where did you put it?" I asked, still digging through his stuff.

"It should be in the red bag," he sighed, turning his head slightly to look at me. I took the red bag he was talking about out from the pile and searched through it.

"I don't see it in here Neji. Are you sure this is where you put it?" Neji sighed again in frustration.

"I don't know! I'm almost certain that's where I put it!"

"Well it's not in here!" Neji turned around again and I looked up at him. Something else caught my attention though.

"Neji watch out!" I screamed. Neji turned around and slammed his foot on the breaks. The car began to swerve and Neji tried to get it back under control. He was unsuccessful however as the car ran off the road and down the hill. It hit something and started rolling over and over and over again. I don't remember when it stopped rolling or what position we were in at the point. I was out cold.

* * *

**_Hey! Look, I posted a day early. Aren't I nice? Because I did post a little early, I have a favor to ask you all. Review! There are a few things I would like to know and would love to read it in your review. Was it alright in first person point of view? Did I depict the characters alright, and did you like the introduction of a new character? Should I have Haku make another appearance in a later chapter? What did you think overall?_**

**_Those are just questions that I would like to get all of your opinions on. I would also appreciate ideas or suggestions. I know that I kind of ended the chapter at a bit of a cliff hanger, but I haven't done anything like that in awhile, so I decided that it would be fun to start off the specials._**

**_I have a deal to make with you guys. I will post the next chapter up once the little review ticker thing gets up to 135 reviews, or on Friday. Whichever comes first. I'll also count the more lengthy and helpful reviews as 2, even though it won't say that on the ticker._**

**_On to the thank yous! A special thanks to the following reviewers for last chapter:_**

**_Nikki Mustang, Yume Ninja, AddictedtoBleach, GothKid12, and Readerfreak10._**

**_You all rock! The reviews always keep me motivated. I really can't thank you all enough._**

**_I'd also like to thank my beta reader, NeferNeferi, for everything she has done. She's been doing a great job and appreciate all the help. (congrats on finishing your first year of university! yay!)_**

**_Thanks again to all you amazing people._**

**_PLEASE REVIEW! THNKS! D_**


	22. Missing

Danielle

**Danielle**

I wasn't sure what time I finally woke up, or even how long I had been asleep for. All I knew was that it was still dark, the car had been totaled, and we were out in the middle of nowhere.

The only sounds that I could hear were the sound of crickets chirping and the sound of the leaves rustling in the wind. It was dark out and it was kind of cold. My head really hurt and I felt as if I were in a bit of a daze.

The car was flipped over onto the driver's side, which left me basically dangling across the back seat. There was a strong pain in my right leg and throughout my entire body. I needed to get out of that car. I needed to get away and I needed to take Neji with me. It wasn't safe to stay here like this.

Groaning to myself, I unbuckled my seatbelt and lowered myself down as gently as I could. I stood there for a moment, leaning up against the seat for support. I could feel my body trembling. I tried to calm down, but the shaking refused to cease. I let my eyes adjust to the dark a little more before I wearily made my way towards the front seat.

Neji was slumped against the door of the driver's side of the vehicle. His hands had fallen away from the steering wheel and were lying near his face and chest. The air bag had been deployed and thankfully it wasn't suffocating him.

Everything could have been a lot worse but seeing my friend like that just scared me to no end. I had never seen Neji out cold before. Every time that I have seen Neji, he was always active and full of life. Looking at him now was like looking at a corpse.

I quickly shook the thoughts away from my head. There was no way that Neji was dead and there was no way that I was going to let him die.

"Neji!" I whispered, my fighting the urge to just break down and start bawling my eyes out. I gave him a small tap on the shoulder and still didn't get a response from him. I was terrified. Nothing like this had ever happened to me. I never thought that anything like this could have happened to me, but there I was. Sure I have been in other situations that ended up with me taking a _wonderful_ trip to the hospital, but nothing like this. I ended up in a car crash and my best friend was out cold. I had no idea where I was, except that we were probably in the middle of nowhere. It's a terrifying feeling.

I reached over his body and slipped my hand into the small gap in between the driver's seat and the door. I pressed one of the levers and tilted Neji's seat back as far as it would go. I was planning on moving him, but I wasn't really sure how I was going to do that. We had just been in an accident, which meant that Neji could be really hurt. Just because I wasn't hurt badly didn't mean that he didn't take on any damage.

How was I going to get him out while ensuring that I wasn't going to harm him anymore than he already was?

I stood there for a moment, trying to think of something that my aunt might have told me about. She was always telling me about the steps I needed to take in case of an emergency. I needed to get out, but I wasn't leaving without taking Neji with me. I'm not supposed to move anyone that might be injured, but I couldn't just leave Neji there.

Nothing was helping. I was too damn frightened. I just couldn't concentrate. The stress was completely getting to me and I was snapping under the pressure like a toothpick. I was pitiful, just fucking pitiful. I knew that I had to get Neji out of there before I became totally helpless myself, which was approaching rather quickly.

I took a few deep breaths and slowly released them. I looked at Neji again and sighed.

"I'm sorry Neji," I whispered. "I don't want to hurt you, but I can't just leave you here either."

I put a supporting arm around Neji and unbuckled his seatbelt with my free hand. I then slipped one arm under him to support his back and neck and slowly pulled him out of the driver's seat. After I got him that far, I laid him down on his back again and carefully dragged him to the back windshield. I sighed and crawled through the broken window. I was hoping that I wouldn't be cut by any of the broken glass, but I knew that I was probably going to get a few cuts out of that. I didn't care.

Once I made it outside of the car, I reached back through the window and pulled Neji out, being carefully about not moving his neck around a lot. After I pulled him out of the car, I drug him over to a nearby tree.

I sat down beside him, sitting up against the tree for support. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my cell phone. I flipped it open and quietly cursed to myself when I saw that I had no service where I was. I angrily flipped it shut and shoved it back into my pocket.

"We're going to be okay Neji," I whispered. "You don't need to worry. Everything is going to turn out fine." I knew that he probably couldn't hear me, but I didn't care. I was saying it more for my own benefit anyway. I was mostly saying those things to help calm me down. I would've liked for Neji to hear those words though. I wanted him to see how sorry I was about the argument we had. Most of all, I wanted him to be alright.

I put my index and middle fingers to his neck in order to check for a pulse. I also knelt over him and tilted his head back slightly so that I could see if he was still breathing. His pulse and breathing was fairly weak, which scared me, but at least he was still alive. That was the most important thing to me at that moment.

I looked up at the car wreck, letting the tears I had been holding back fall down my cheeks. Memories of the car crash my parents had been in slowly started to become uprooted. My body started shaking even more and my breathing started to become even more uneven. It had been a little more than a year since their death. It had taken me several months to get over their deaths, and now everything that I thought had been put behind me was reappearing right in front of me.

I tried to hold back my sobs, but I couldn't. Everything was going against me. In the back of my mind, I could see Neji ending up just like my parents. I lost sight of the fact that my parents died instantaneously in a fiery explosion and that Neji was still right there in front of me. I just couldn't keep it in anymore.

I laid down next beside my unconscious friend and wept. I wept so hard that I felt sick. It felt as if the whole world was crushing down on me. I don't even remember how long I cried. I must have fallen asleep at some point. The last thing I remember thinking to myself was how pathetic I must look right now.

**XOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOX**

**Gaara**

I was sitting in my room, sketching a picture of a simple rose. What can I say! I was bored! Danielle was supposed to have returned from camp the day before, but I hadn't heard from her. I thought that she was probably tired and so she fell asleep when she got home. I didn't want to bug her, so I just waited for her to call and bug me like she normally did. Besides, I wouldn't want to be the one to have bothered her if she was resting and recuperating from anything.

"Gaara!" Temari called from the living room. "Gaara, get out here! I need to talk to you." I sighed and put my sketchpad down. I slowly walked out and saw Temari sitting on the couch. She looked up at me with sad eyes, which scared me. I nervously took a seat on the couch and looked down at the ground. I don't like looking into my sister's eyes when she was upset about something. It made me feel really uncomfortable.

"Gaara, have you gotten any phone calls or anything from Danielle within the last 24 hours?" I looked up at her in confusion.

"I wasn't grounded or anything was I?" I asked. Temari shook her head. "No, I haven't heard anything from her. Why are you asking me this?" Temari bit her bottom lip, which was something she did when she was trying to find the right way to say something.

"Gaara…Danielle and Neji never came home last night." I could feel my body stiffen.

"What do you mean?!" I asked, slightly shocked.

"Neji and Danielle were supposed to return from camp yesterday and neither of them has come back yet. Layla and Hiashi Hyuuga are looking for them on their own for now, since they have to wait 48 hours before they can actually be reported as missing."

I could feel my heart sinking in my chest. I felt as if there was something crushing my lungs.

"Can we do anything to help?" I asked softly. Temari looked up at the clock and then back at me.

"Once Kankurou gets back with the car, we'll go out and see if we can find her." I nodded and stood up. I slowly went into my room and shut the door behind me. I sat down on my bed, sighing to myself as I did so. I didn't know what was going on. The feeling that was taking over my body, it was strange. I didn't like it at all. It reminded me of the feeling I had after the nightmare in which Danielle was murdered by my father. It was a mixture of sadness, anger, and disbelief. It felt as though a big chunk had been taken out of my body. I was even more incomplete than how I had started. Why do I have to feel this way?

**XOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOX**

**Danielle**

It was around noon when I woke up. I could tell because the sun was almost directly overhead.

My head was aching and my body felt really stiff. I wearily looked down at Neji and checked his pulse and breathing. It wasn't any better, but it wasn't any worse either. I let out a deep sigh and looked up at the car. I slowly got up, feeling pain shoot up and down my leg. I ignored it and limped over to the car. I reached in through the back window and pulled out my duffel bag. I shouldered it and limped back over to the tree that Neji was at. I dropped my duffel bag and sat down. I opened it up and pulled out a water bottle. I twisted the cap off and took a couple sips.

"Neji, I need to get some water in you," I told him softly. I knew that he was unconscious, but I was hoping that he could still somehow hear me. If he could, then maybe he would be able to drink.

Seeing him lying unconscious somehow reminded me of when I found Gaara at the bottom of his steps. He had been unconscious and was really dehydrated. I didn't want that to happen to Neji.

I propped him up a little bit and opened his mouth, pouring some water into it. Neji immediately coughed it up, probably not swallowing any of it. I sighed in frustration, wiping the water and drool from Neji's chin with my sleeve.

"Neji, you really need to drink something. All you have to do is swallow the damn water," I told him, getting slightly frustrated.

I tried it again, still with no prevail. I closed the water up and tossed it to the side. I glared at Neji, feeling anger and frustration boil up inside of me. I knew that Neji couldn't help it and it wasn't his fault. It was just everything that had happened left me feeling frightened and helpless.

* * *

**_Well, there's #2 of the specials. What did you all think?_**

**_Okay, next chapter, I am introducing another cannon character, in which part of the story will be told in his point of view. I will also be introducing another OC, although she will only be presented in that chapter. Another good thing is that the next chapter is a lot longer. I think that I will be posting it on Sunday evening or Monday morning. One or the either._**

**_Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers:_**

**_Lyris88, Readerfreak10, Animestar001, GothKid12, Me and Gaara 4ever, and AddictedtoBleach._**

**_Thank you all. Please keep it up and I promise to keep writing the best that I can._**

**_Please Review!_**


	23. The Search Continues

Gaara

**Gaara**

**48 Hours Missing**

We searched for her in many different roads yesterday, but she was nowhere to be found. We didn't find any traces of Neji's car either. We asked around in several different towns if they had seen either of them, but nobody had. Layla and Hiashi weren't making any progress either.

The police are finally getting involved and are going to help in the search. Also, Hinata has gotten together a bunch of her friends and they are going to help in the search as well. The police are going to be focusing on whether or not someone might have kidnapped them, which doesn't really seem likely. I mean, who would try to kidnap two teenagers like that? I'm certain Neji wouldn't have been easy to take and Danielle…well…let's just say that she would definitely give a tough fight. I remember when she told me that she came up with a foolproof way of making sure that no man would ever abduct her. When I asked her how, she said that if she showed me I wouldn't be a man anymore. I still can't help but smirk at that remark.

I really care about Danielle. I don't want to say love, because I'm still not certain what that is. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. I don't really know. What I do know is that I care about her and I don't want anything bad to happen to her. I want to believe that she's fine. I know that she is, more likely than not, in some type of trouble. I just hope that we can find her before it gets any worse.

**XxOOOxX**

**Naruto**

I woke up this morning and got dressed. I ate a quick breakfast then ran over to Sakura's house. I still can't drive, since Iruka doesn't trust me behind the wheel of a car yet. I don't understand why though. I'm completely competent. Anyway, this is why I went over to Sakura's, and the reason that a bunch of people were meeting up at her house too.

I knocked on her door and was greeted by TenTen.

"Hurry up and get in here!" she hissed. "You're late!"

"Sorry," I whispered, slipping inside. The two of us joined the others in the living room and gathered around the coffee table where a map rested.

"Alright!" Ino called out, getting everyone's attention. "Shikamaru here finally got off of his lazy ass and decided to help us by blowing up this map." My eyes grew wide.

"Did he really blow it up?" I asked. I gasped as Sakura slapped me upside the head.

"It means that he enlarged it you idiot!" she growled.

"Sorry! It's not like I was hurting anyone, unlike you Sakura-chan." Once again, she slapped me in the back of the head.

"Anyway…," Ino continued, "we're going to assign a pair of people to different roads along the route to Danielle's summer camp."

"Some of the roads are off course a little, just in case they might have gone down a different road," Shikamaru added.

"Where's Shino?" Sakura asked. "Didn't he say that he was going to help?"

"He left already," Hinata answered. "H-He left early this m-morning. He went a bit f-farther because h-he also w-w-wanted to d-do some b-bug c-collecting."

"How selfish," I muttered to myself. A few of the others nodded in agreement.

"So, maybe someone should call Gaara and have him search some of the roads up where he lives. Since he's closer to where Danielle and Neji went to camp, he can search the roads that we can't get to." I smirked and nodded.

"I'll call him," I offered.

I stepped out into the hall and pulled my cell phone out. I punched in Gaara's cell phone number and waited as the phone began to ring.

_"Hello?" _a sleepy voice answered. I couldn't help but grin at the sound of his voice. It sounded like he didn't get much sleep, or I could just have woken him up.

"Good morning Gaara!" I chirped. Even though I couldn't see him, I figured that he was scowling at the other end of the phone.

_"What's up Naruto?"_ he asked in a dull, uninterested voice.

"We're about to go searching for Neji and Danielle again. There are some streets that are near your place and we were wondering if you would be able to check them out."

_"What are the road names?"_

"I'm not really sure. I have to talk to Shikamaru again and then I can text you."

_"Alright, I'll be waiting."_

**XOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOX**

**Shino**

It was probably around noon by the time we got to the area I wanted to search. It was an area I was fairly familiar with since I come here often to search for insects. It's quite the hotspot for several uncommon species of beetles and a certain type of butterfly.

I pulled over to the side of the road, the side opposite of the fairly steep hill to be more specific. I looked over to the sleeping female sitting in the passenger seat and tapped her on the shoulder. Her eyes fluttered opened and she looked at me sleepily.

"We're here," I informed her softly. Her eyes instantly brightened and filled with life. She quickly unbuckled her seatbelt and bounded out of the car. I slowly followed her lead, popping the trunk before shutting my door. I took out a net for Sarah and for myself. She happily took it from me and waved it around in the air.

"Yay!" she cheered. "It's time to go bug hunting and friend finding! Shino, do you really think they would have traveled this road?"

"It's possible," I assured her. "Surprisingly enough, it's actually not that far from the main road. It could've been easy for them to have made a wrong turn onto this road. It's not traveled on as much as some of the other roads, so it could have been missed by someone else. We'll spend about an hour searching the woods for the bug and my friends in that general direction." I pointed north, which was basically further down the road. "Then we'll walk back using the road, just to make sure that we didn't miss anything that would lead to us finding Danielle and Neji."

"You're so smart Shino!" Sarah squealed, dancing on her tiptoes and skipping across the street. I just rolled my eyes at her and followed her at a slower pace. Sometimes I wonder what it was about her that made me keep her around. She was almost like Naruto at times, except in female form. I don't think that I would stick around with her if she didn't have an interest in bugs. It's not very often that you find another female that has an interest in insects. Still, her bright personality was a bit too much for me.

"You search at the bottom of the hill. I'm going to search near the top."

"Why?" she asked, starting at me in confusion with those teal blue eyes of hers.

"Because I don't want you to trip and end up falling down the hill. You can be pretty klutzy sometimes."

"Aw! It's so cute that Shino is worried about me!" I rolled my eyes at her again and watched as she carefully made her way down the hill. "I made it Shino! I'm going to start looking, okay!?" I didn't bother responding. I hardly ever did, and she never really expected me to. That is another thing that I liked about her. I didn't have to worry about her trying to make me change my ways.

**XOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOX**

**Danielle**

I woke up again around noon. I looked down at Neji again and checked his vital signs. He still wasn't getting any better, although I didn't really expect him to. He hadn't had any water or food in about 48 hours. This really worried me. A person could only go three days without water. We must have been pretty far out for no one to have found us yet.

I stared at Neji in slight frustration, thinking about what I was going to do. Sighing to myself, I picked up the water bottle and propped Neji up a little. I put the bottle to his lips and poured some of the water into his mouth. I quickly set the bottle down and pinched his nose shut and covering his mouth with my hand so that he couldn't cough the water up. His body shook viciously as he tried to get rid of the water in his lungs. I knew that I was being harsh, but he needed to get water in his system. I wasn't going to let him die. I wasn't going to lose one of my friends. I had lost my parents, I had almost lost Gaara, and I didn't want to lose anyone else that was precious to me.

He finally swallowed what was left in his mouth and I took my hand away, allowing him to cough up any water he had gotten in his lungs. I turned his body into the recovery position so that he wouldn't just end up choking on the water again.

I sat there for a few minutes, rubbing Neji's back until his coughing finally quieted down. I thought about what I was going to do. The hill to the road was only about 10 or 15 feet away from it. I could try and make my way to the top, but I don't know how good that would do me since I hadn't seen a single car drive by.

I sighed to myself and stood up, hissing in pain as I did so. My ankle was hurting more and more each day. I had been able to ignore it, but it was starting to get to the point where I wouldn't even be able to stand on it. Something must've happened to it during the crash, although that kind of seems odd. It was swollen though, but it wasn't that way before the crash.

I tried walking on it, but that didn't go very well. I ended up falling to my knees. Tears started to form in my eyes, but I wasn't ready to give up yet. I tried again, and it ended in the same way. I couldn't help it this time. I just let the tears fall and let myself break down. I just felt so damn pitiful and I didn't care anymore.

I sobbed to myself, my body shaking with frustration. I felt horrible, like I was about to be sick. My face and ears felt hot and my body was starting to hurt more from all the crying. I felt like I was going to die and I didn't care.

**XOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOX**

**Shino**

"I'm going to find the butterfly before you Shino!" Sarah sang out. I sighed to myself, shaking my head in disappointment.

"You're not going to find anything if you keep making so much noise," I informed her.

"That's not true." I gave her a weird look, although she couldn't see it from where she was. She wouldn't have been able to see it regardless because of the sunglasses I wear.

"It's completely true."

"No it's not. Sure, I may not find any bugs but I might find your friends. If they hear me, then maybe they might try calling out." She did have a point there, although they wouldn't be able to reply if they were unconscious or something. I could've told her that, but I didn't feel like bursting her bubble and causing her to come back with another snide remark. She always won, and I really didn't mind. I would just rather let her win and be done with the pointless argument.

As we walked on, the slope of the hill got smaller and easier to climb up or down. I decided to make my way down to where Sarah was because I could see that the slope was beginning to rise again further down the road. We walked a little further and then we saw something off in the distance.

"What is that?" Sarah asked as she stared off into the woods. I shrugged. "Do you think that it could be your friends?"

"It's possible," I told her, "although I'm not so sure at this distance."

"Then let's go check it out stupid!"

"You run on ahead. I'll go run back and bring the car closer." Sarah furrowed her brow and shook her head.

"I don't think so, bug man! You're the one who's supposed to be looking for your friends, not me. I came along because I'm nice. _**You**_ run ahead and see if it's _**your**_ friends. I'll bring the car around. Besides, it will take you forever to go back, seeing as you're a slowpoke." I glared at her, but she was right once again.

I dug my hand into my pocket and pulled out the car keys.

"Bring the car up to where the slope starts to decrease," I told her as I put the keys in her hands. "Once you park the car, come and meet me over there." She nodded and scurried up the hill.

I made my way over to the area in question. As I approached the site, I saw that there was a white car tipped over on its side. Seeing this, I sprinted over to the car. I could hear someone's sobbing, which worried me a little.

I found Danielle and Neji near the rear of the car. Neji was lying motionlessly on the ground and Danielle was on her knees, sobbing. I hurried over to her side, startling her slightly. As soon as she realized who I was, she threw her arms around my neck and cried even harder. This was very uncomfortable. I don't even like it when Sarah gets this close, even though she does it anyway. I wanted to push her away, but seeing her in the state she was in, I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

"It's alright," I told her. "Just try to calm down, okay?"

After a few more moments, she finally released her grip on me and pulled away. Her eyes were bloodshot, probably from crying. I noticed that her ankle was badly swollen and that she had a few bruises on her arms and a several cuts.

"Is Neji alright?" I asked. Danielle shook her head, biting down on her bottom lip.

"H-He's been unconscious," she told me sadly. I nodded.

Just then, Sarah came running up to us, panting slightly. She gave me a weak smile before looking at Danielle and then at Neji.

"I think I can carry the girl," she told me. "Should we carry the boy together, or do you just want to carry him on your own?"

"I think it would be slightly safer if we both carried him, but it would take more time. I'll carry him myself, at least until I get to the hill." Sarah nodded and crouched down beside Danielle, putting one of the girl's arms over her shoulders. She then stood up, bringing Danielle to her feet as well.

"I'm going on ahead," she told me. "We'll meet you by the car." I nodded and went over to where Neji was lying unconscious. I gathered him up in my arms, careful not to let his neck jerk around. I positioned him on my back and carried him in the same direction Sarah was headed.

Once we got up the hill, Sarah opened the car door for me and I slid Neji into the back seat. Danielle let the Hyuuga rest his head against her so that it wasn't just drooping forward.

Once we were on the main road and got closer to civilization, I had Sarah call up Suna hospital and let them know that we were on the way. She also called up some of the members of the search party, and let them know that we had found Danielle and Neji.

_**XooooX**_

"Naruto, this is Sarah."

_"I'm sorry, but I don't know anyone by the name of Sarah."_

"I'm Shino's girlfriend," she giggled.

_"I didn't know Shino had a girlfriend!"_

"Yeah, it doesn't surprise me that he doesn't talk about it." She looked over at me with an accusatory stare. "Anyway, we found your friends and we're taking them to Suna hospital right now. We should be arriving shortly."

_"You're kidding! You guys really found them?! Where were they?!"_

"Wow, you're loud. Ummm….. they were near one of Shino's bug hunting spots."

_"What happened? Are they okay?"_

"I guess they got into some kind of car accident. Danielle is doing alright. She's out like a light at the moment. She only has a few bumps and bruises and a swollen ankle. Neji doesn't look too good though. He's unconscious at the moment and Danielle said that he hasn't been conscious yet. He got bumped on the head pretty hard, or so it seems."

_"Well, thanks for calling me."_

"Can you do me a favor and start spreading the word to the others? I called Hinata already, but that's about it. Do you think you can call Danielle's parents?"

_"Danielle lives with her aunt, but I'll be sure to tell her. I'll also call some of the others, although Hinata has probably called most of them already."_

"Thanks a bunch. If you guys want to meet up at Suna hospital, that's where we're taking them."

_"Okay, thanks again!"_

**XOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOX**

**Gaara**

I was in the car with my siblings when my cell phone rang.

"Hello?" I answered.

_"Gaara, it's Naruto."_

"Hey, did you guys have any luck?"

_"Shino found them and they're on their way to Suna hospital. They should be there shortly. Danielle is a little banged up, but she'll be okay. Neji isn't doing so well though."_

"Shino found them?"

_"It's weird, I know. You should head up to the hospital. I'm sure that Danielle would be really happy to see you. We're on our way up there as well, but it's going to take us awhile."_

"Alright, thanks for calling me Naruto."

_"No problem! I'll see you there!"_

**XooooX**

I sat with my siblings in the waiting room. There were plenty of chairs and benches throughout the room for people to sit down. There weren't as many people as I thought there would be. It was surprisingly empty and eerily quiet.

After about ten minutes, we were met by Shino and some girl that I had never seen before.

"Danielle wanted me to find you," he said coolly. "She's getting checked out by the doctors right now, so she'll be out in a while."

"I can't believe you found her," Temari sighed. "What happened to them?"

"According to Danielle, Neji was driving and they went off the road trying to avoid hitting a deer."

"How's Neji anyway?" Kankurou asked.

"He's in critical condition right now. They're going to come out with Danielle and give us a report."

Shino and the blonde haired female took a seat beside us and we all waited patiently. I was extremely anxious, but I was somehow able to keep a calm composure on the outside. I really don't know how though. It was a very painful wait that seemed to be taking hours.

I was so relieved when Danielle came limping out. I immediately stood up and walked over to her. She threw her arms around me, squeezing me tightly and crying into my shoulder. I hesitantly wrapped my arms around her, careful not to hurt her. All my thoughts of discomfort disappeared as I realized how upset Danielle was.

"It's alright," I whispered into her ear. "Everything is going to be alright."

"We're going to run a few tests on Neji that we think are necessary," the doctor began, "but it's still too early to say whether or not he'll get better. We're going to run some X-rays and CAT scan or an MRI." I nodded and led Danielle back to where I was sitting. Everyone scooted over to make room for us. Danielle laid her head against my chest, snuggling close to me. It was a little bit too close for my comfort, but I felt that I owed her after everything she'd done for me. She gripped a fistful of my t-shirt, digging her fingernails into the fabric.

She fell asleep about 15 minutes later, her hands loosening their grip. Temari seemed to be amused by this. I don't know what she thought was so funny. I don't laugh every time she snuggles with her boyfriend, which is actually disturbing. Still, I don't go freaking out or making a big deal out of nothing.

A bunch of others, including Layla and Hiashi, showed up about an hour later. Layla looked down at the sleeping Danielle with a soft smile on her face.

"How is Neji?" Hiashi asked worriedly. Hinata was standing close to her father, worry etched all over her face.

"He's in critical condition right now," Temari told him. "He's getting some tests done, but it's going to be awhile. I'm really sorry." Hiashi nodded and sat down with Hinata on the other side of the room. Naruto and Sakura followed suit. Layla knelt down in front of me and tapped Danielle lightly on the shoulder. She stirred a little, but didn't wake up. Layla smirked and sighed.

"She's probably exhausted," she whispered. I smirked and nodded. "You don't mind her invading your personal space, do you?" I shook my head, indicating that it was fine.

"It's alright, that is unless you want to take her. I'm sure she would be happy to see you." Layla shook her head.

"I don't want to wake her. She deserves a good rest after everything she has been through." She ruffled the sleeping girl's hair before standing back up and sitting down next to Hiashi and Hinata, trying to comfort them.

We sat there for about 2 hours and didn't receive any more news. Temari turned to me and frowned.

"We're going to have to go Gaara," she sighed. "We can't stay here all night long."

"I can give him a ride home," Layla offered, standing up and walking over to my siblings. "It really won't be any trouble."

"That would be great. You and Danielle are welcome to stay at our apartment so you can stay here longer to hear about Neji."

"Are you sure that's no trouble?" Temari smiled and shook her head.

"It's no trouble at all!"

**XxOOOOOOOOxX**

Layla took us to the apartment somewhere around two o'clock in the morning. Danielle slept with Temari in her room and Layla slept in my bed. I slept on the couch, which didn't really matter all that much.

I was woken up by Danielle around 8. She was just sitting on the edge of the couch, looking down at me with sad eyes.

"What's wrong?" I asked. I really didn't need to ask her that question. I already knew what she was upset about.

"I'm worried about Neji," she whispered. I nodded and sat up, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes as I did so. I brought my legs over the edge of the couch and slowly stood up. Danielle looked up at me questioningly.

"Let's get something to eat," I told her. "Then I'll get the keys from Temari and we can go to the hospital to see Neji." She smiled weakly and nodded.

"You drive?" she asked. I smirked and nodded.

"I'll see if I can get Temari to drive us though. I'm still not that good." She giggled softly.

"Yeah, that doesn't surprise me."

* * *

**_Yay! They have been found! I've re-edited this chapter like a dozen times. That's tiring. sighs _**

**_This was the last of the special-chapters. Starting next chapter, the story will be returning to 3rd person POV. Don't worry though, you'll still find out what happens to Neji, I promise. It's just told in third person is all._**

**_Also, after the next chapter, I am going to be taking a break from posting. During this break, I will be typing up more chapters ahead of time and trying to get a story line going again. If you have any ideas or suggestions, please let me know. I would love to hear it. I'm going to start the school year up again for our favorite couple, so expect to be seeing that soon._**

**_A special thank you to those who reviewed last chapter:_**

**_Lyris88, Readerfreak10, Animestar001, GothKid12, Nikki Mustang, itachi2011, AddictedtoBleach, Angel Fate of the Desert, and NeferNeferi._**

**_I'd also like to thank those who added this story to their favorites list or alert list. I'd love to hear from you guys. It would make me so happy._**

**_Thanks for reading and I hope that you all enjoyed. Let me know what you thought._**

**_Please Review!_**


	24. Neji

The doctors had run many tests on the young Hyuuga prodigy in order to determine what his level of response was and to diagnose him properly. The boy had been unresponsive since the accident and hadn't responded to any normal stimuli since his arrival at the hospital either. The only responses that he showed were when Danielle had tried to force water down his throat and when a small amount of pain was administered. With this information known, Neji was diagnosed with level 10 comatose. In order to find out more, Neji was given a CT scan. Images from the scan showed that he was suffering from minor swelling in the brain.

Neji was admitted into surgery early the next morning in order to drain the excess fluid surrounding the brain. The idea was that this would help bring Neji out of his comatose state. When the doctors were asked whether or not it looked like he was going to pull through, they really didn't know how to answer. They couldn't just say yes, but they couldn't say no either. He still had some signs of responsiveness, which was a very good symptom. However, because he hadn't been immediately treated after the accident, they had to consider other factors as well.

Three days had gone by with nothing particularly new. Neji was being held in a sterile white room with bright fluorescent lighting. The room was always changing ever so slightly. It remained the same color and Neji, and the machines that he was attached to also remained in the same place. The room still changed though. Everyday for the past three days there was a new vase of flowers that was placed on a small table. There was always someone in the room with him, whether it was a friend or family member, or someone from the hospital staff. The main visitors, however, were his uncle, Hinata, and Danielle.

Trays of supplies were brought in and out of the room. The IV drip bags had been changed countless times. His bandages had been changed as well. Besides those small features, Neji remained unchanged.

There was always sound coming from the room. The normal sound that could be heard was the beeping from the vital signs' monitor. A slightly regular sound was the sound of people talking. Danielle would sometimes talk to Neji. Sometimes Hiashi and Hinata would talk to each other. The doctors and nurses would talk about the Hyuuga boy's condition and whether he would recover or not. Danielle even dragged Gaara along one of the days. The redhead didn't say much, at least not when he was with other people. However, there was a point in time where he was left alone with the Hyuuga. Surprisingly, and unknowing to everyone else, Gaara actually talked to him.

"For the record, I think that this is absolutely stupid," he muttered. He looked back at the door to make sure that no one was watching. He then looked back down at Neji and sighed. "You need to get better. Everyone is worried about you. Even I'm concerned, to a certain degree that is." Just then, Danielle came back in with Hinata. Gaara went silent and stared at the motionless patient.

There wasn't much activity going on outside of the hospital as well. Danielle and Layla stayed with Gaara and his siblings in their apartment. Gaara slept on the couch so that their guests wouldn't have to.

He suffered almost every day with having to listen to Danielle's sobbing. He wanted to comfort her, but wasn't really sure how. After several days of not doing much of anything, Gaara finally went to sit with her in his room. She was lying on his bed, sobbing into his pillow. Her body shook with each breath she took, which made him kind of nervous.

"Danielle," he whispered sadly. The girl didn't give him any form of acknowledgment, although he didn't really expect her to. He sighed quietly to himself, trying to think about what to do.

Remembering all the times that Danielle had comforted him, Gaara hesitantly reached out and placed a gentle hand on the back of Danielle's shoulder. He slowly ran his hand down the girl's back and then up again. He repeated this motion for awhile until Danielle had relaxed a little.

"Do you want to talk?" he asked softly, still rubbing her back.

"No," she whimpered, turning her head to the side so that she was now staring at the wall. Gaara rubbed her back for a few more minutes before stopping. He waited for a few minutes, wondering what he should do now.

"Gaara…" The redhead looked down at his friend with soft eyes. "Thank you Gaara," she whispered. Gaara nodded, forgetting that Danielle couldn't see him.

"You know where to find me if you ever want to talk," he told her. He slowly got up, leaving her on her own. He went out into the living room and sat on the couch next to Layla.

"She's still pretty upset," Gaara sighed. Layla nodded.

"That isn't surprising. This probably brought back a lot of very sad memories." Gaara gave Layla a weird look.

"What do you mean?"

"You know about her parents, right?" Gaara thought for a moment before nodding.

"I see. I guess that makes sense."

"And now she has to deal with Neji's condition. It's a lot to deal with, especially for someone her age."

"Do you think that Neji will be alright?" Gaara asked. Layla smiled at the small hint of concern in his voice.

"From what I have been told, I'm not really sure. I believe that he will be okay though. The fact that he isn't getting any worse is a good sign, so I believe that he will make a recovery." Gaara nodded and sat back.

**XxOOOOOOOOxX**

Five days had gone by. There was a bit of a routine going on by now. Danielle and the Hyuugas would show up early in the morning and would stay with Neji for awhile. Danielle would normally leave around noon and would come back later in the evening, just as the Hyuugas were leaving. However, on the fifth morning, everything changed drastically. Danielle didn't show up early that morning. Instead, she came around noon, after the Hyuugas had left. They were returning home for a short amount of time. They had to get a few things since they would be staying a bit longer for Neji.

Danielle didn't show up until about an hour or two after his family had left. When she arrived, she was completely surprised to find that he was awake. Tears filled her eyes as she rushed to his side. He looked at her with sleepy, glazed over eyes. Neji opened his mouth to say something but no sound came out due to the breathing mask that was covering his mouth. Danielle smiled and let her tears fall.

"Don't say anything Neji," she told him softly. Neji made her lay her palm out flat and used his index finger to draw on it. She watched intently, realizing that he was spelling something out to her.

_"S-A-D-?"_ Danielle closed her hand on top of his and shook her head.

"No, I'm not sad," she told him. "I'm extremely happy. You have no idea how happy I really am right now." Danielle's smile turned into a frown when she saw the tears begin to well up in Neji's eyes. She cupped his cheek in her hand, caressing it with her thumb. "What's wrong Neji? Are you okay?" Neji spelled something out on Danielle's free hand again.

_"I'M - SORRY."_

"I'm sorry too Neji. Let's just forgive and forget, okay?" The Hyuuga nodded weakly. "I'll be right back. I'm going to get a nurse and then I'll call Hinata and Hiashi to tell them to hurry back up here."

Danielle rushed out of the room and to the nurse's desk.

"Please call the doctors or someone and tell them that Neji Hyuuga has finally woken up." The nurse nodded and Danielle ran off to one of the phones. She dialed the number to Hinata's cell phone and waited for her to pick it up.

_"Hello?"_

"Hinata, get your butt back up here right away!"

_"W-Why?! Is N-Neji alright?!"_

"Neji's fine. He's finally awake and I'm sure that he would want to see you!"

_"O-okay! W-We'll be there a-as s-s-soon as w-we can."_

**XxOOOOOOOOxX**

Close to an hour had passed and the room was finally clear of anyone from the medical staff. Danielle went back over to her friend and sat down on the edge of his bed. The breathing mask had been removed, allowing Neji to speak.

"Your uncle and Hinata are on their way," Danielle informed him.

"Thank you Danni," he whispered. The black-haired girl smiled and nodded.

"Don't mention it Neji."

"What happened?"

"The car got totaled out in the middle of nowhere, so we were lost for about two days. Shino and his girlfriend found us near one of their bug hunting hotspots. They were nice enough to drive us to the nearest hospital. The crash happened about five days ago and you've been unconscious the entire time." Neji nodded wearily.

"I'm sorry to have been such a burden," he whispered sadly. Danielle gave him a shocked look.

"You don't need to apologize for that. I've been a burden to both you and Gaara so many times so you have no room for apologizing." Neji smiled weakly at her last comment and nodded slightly.

"Thank you Danni."

**XxOOOOOOOOxX**

Danielle skipped happily into the Sabaku apartment and stopped in front of Gaara's closed door. She paused for a moment before lightly tapping on the wood and entering. She quickly shut the door behind her and grinned at the redhead that sat on the bed looking back at her in slight shock. Gaara hadn't seen her smile in the longest time.

She jumped onto his bed, landing directly beside him. Gaara's eyes widened when she suddenly wrapped her arms around him, burying her face into his chest. He just sat there, still in a bit of shock.

"Gaara," she whispered. Gaara peered down at her through confused eyes. "Gaara, please hold me." Hesitant at first, he slowly wrapped his arms around the girl's small frame and pressed her close to his body. He felt a bit awkward about doing so, since he wasn't a fan of physical contact. Still, he didn't want to drive Danielle away. If it was for Danielle, he would be willing to overcome any of his silly discomforts.

"You're getting more comfortable with me, aren't you?" she asked softly. Gaara could hear the smirk in her voice.

"A little," he admitted, his voice staying below a whisper.

"I'm glad. I want you to be comfortable with me. If I ever make you too uncomfortable though, just tell me. I don't ever want to do anything to upset you." Gaara nodded and squeezed her a little tighter.

"I don't ever want to hurt you either. I want to protect you."

"Don't let me go Gaara, not yet anyway."

"I won't," he whispered, resting the side of his head against hers. He held her a little while longer, letting his mind wander all over the place.

"How's Neji?" he asked. Danielle looked up at him and nodded.

"He woke up," she whispered. "The doctors said that he may even make a full recovery."

"That's good to hear." Danielle nodded and buried her face into his chest.

"I love you Gaara," she told him, her voice muffled from her face being in his chest.

"I love you too."

* * *

**_Here's chapter 24, as promised. I don't know how long it's going to be before I post the next chapter. It shouldn't be too long. I'm still kind of stuck, although I have more of an idea now than I did before. I'll be typing out chapter 25 soon and the sending it out to my wonderful beta-reader NeferNeferi. I hope to be starting on it by the end of this weekend. My first priority though, is to finish "Letting the Light In", since I started on it way before I started this. I have been procrastinating on it up until recently and I want to get it finished before I start to procrastinate on it again. I only have one more chapter to type up for that, then this story will be my main focus._**

**_If all goes well, then I should have chapter 25 up sometime next weekend. If I don't have it up by then, I'm wish to apologize ahead of time. Really random things have been popping up here and there, giving me less time to type, and I have been having trouble with making the plot stable enough. I'm working on it though, and I won't stop working on it until it's done, and hopefully done well._**

**_Thanks to all of my reviewers:_**

**_Readerfreak10, Yume Ninja, Animestar001, Nikki Mustang, Lyris88, GothKid12, and NeferNeferi._**

**_You guys have been keeping me going. Thank you so much for the feedback and for the constructive criticism. Chapter 25 might be a little bit shaky, since I'm kind of struggling, but please bare with me._**

**_Please Review! It would mean the absolute world to me, especially now since I'm kind of at a roadblock. Thanks!_**


	25. Getting Closer

Neji was lying on his bed, staring blankly up at the ceiling. Sunlight filled the room, causing shadows to dance upon his wall. It had been three days since he had been released from the hospital. Even though he had been let loose, he was still in a rather weak state. He was given orders to stay in bed and take it easy for the next week. Neji understood his orders and he didn't mind them for the first couple of days since his body was still under the effects of the hospital drugs, but now that he was "drug-free", he needed something to do. Anyone who knew Neji knew that he didn't like sitting in the same place all day and not get anything done.

The Hyuuga boy sighed and closed his eyes. They suddenly opened when he heard the sound of knocking. He rolled his head to the side and watched as Danielle slipped into the room, shutting the door behind her. She smiled at him and approached his bed. She held up the tupplewear that was in her hands, causing Neji to smirk.

"What are you doing here?" he asked softly.

"No one is home," she told him. "Hinata and I talked yesterday and she asked me if I would take care of you since she had to go to work."

"I don't need a babysitter," the boy chuckled. She raised an eyebrow at him, smirking evilly.

"Really? I seem to remember you being particularly bad about staying in bed while ill." Neji rolled his eyes at her and laughed. "Anyway, I brought you some food." She set the tupplewear down on his nightstand and sat down on the edge of his bed.

"Thanks Danni." The Hyuuga slowly sat up, grimacing in pain as he did so. The black-haired female propped Neji's pillow up against the headboard and helped her friend to sit back against it.

"Is that okay?" she asked, slight concern touching her voice. He nodded and smiled weakly. She took the lid off of the bowl and handed it to Neji, along with a spoon.

"You know that you didn't have to do this," he told her, shoveling a spoonful of soup into his mouth. Danielle smiled and nodded.

"You're one of my best friends Neji, and you're right next door. It's really no problem." Neji smiled and chuckled softly.

"So how is it going between you and Gaara?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. A small blush painted Danielle's cheeks at the mention of Gaara, which caused Neji to start laughing again.

"We're doing fine, but let's not talk about us. How about you and TenTen?" Neji stopped laughing and narrowed his eyes at her.

"Everything is fine," he mumbled and began eating the rest of his soup. Danielle took her backpack off and unzipped it. She pulled out a few activity books and a couple of magazines, setting them down on Neji's nightstand.

"These should keep you entertained for awhile." Neji thanked her again. "I'll see you later, okay? Gaara moved back into Naruto's place yesterday and I told him that I would come over and keep him company while he finishes unpacking his things."

"Sounds like fun," he told her, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Danielle stuck her tongue out at him before leaving the Hyuuga boy in peace.

**XxooooooooxX**

Gaara was taking his clothes out of his suitcase and neatly placing them into his dresser. He jumped when he felt someone tickle the back of his neck. He spun around on his heel and glared at the girl standing in front of him.

"How many times am I going to have to tell you…?" he said blankly, although he looked rather agitated. Danielle smirked and shrugged.

"I don't know," she sighed, "when are you going to lose all that modesty?" Gaara blushed slightly, narrowing his eyes at her. "Do you want any help?" Gaara softened the glare and slowly nodded. Danielle looked into his bag and giggled.

"I'm not touching those," she snickered. Gaara looked inside and the blush returned to his face.

"I'll get them," he sighed, taking his boxers out of the suitcase and putting them in his top dresser drawer. As soon as Gaara turned around, he was hit in the face with a pair of socks. He glared at Danielle. "You really like getting on people's nerves, don't you?" The girl smiled innocently and tossed another pair of socks at him. Gaara caught it and put it in his drawer.

After about an hour, Gaara's suitcase was empty and the two teens were chilling in the kitchen, eating an ice cream cone.

"How's Neji?" the redhead asked softly.

"He's still really sore and has to stay in bed," she began, "but he's getting much better."

"That's good." Gaara licked his chocolate ice cream cone while Danielle stared at him. He gave her a weird look. "What?" She shook her head, smiling.

"It's nothing," she giggled. "I'm just thinking about stuff, that's all."

"What were you thinking about?" She shrugged.

"I'm thinking about how happy I am, knowing that you're back in town. What about you? Is anything going through your mind?" Gaara closed his eyes for a moment and opened them again.

"You," he sighed.

"You make that sound like a bad thing," she giggled. She went silent for a moment. "It's not a bad thing, is it?" Gaara's eyes widened at this question. He looked down at the ground with sad eyes.

"I don't enjoy the fact that I'm always thinking about you, but it's not necessarily a bad thing. I like you, so I like thinking about you."

"I can understand," she whispered, smiling slightly. "I used to always be thinking about you too." Gaara looked back up at her, his eyes filled with shock.

"But not anymore?"

"No, I still think about you a lot, but not in the same way. I used to think about you in terms of 'what if?' I've seen the way you've reacted to things, so now I just have little mental images of you." Gaara smirked. "Do you want to come over my place tomorrow?" she asked. Gaara nodded.

"Do you have something planned?" he asked, raising an invisible eyebrow.

"How did you know?!" she asked in shock.

"Whenever you have some type of scheme, you're usually wearing a particular smile."

"Which smile?!" Gaara smirked and shook his head.

"I'm not telling. If I tell you, you won't do it anymore and I won't be able to tell."

"You're mean."

"And so are you." Danielle giggled and nodded.

"I can't argue with that!" she chirped.

**XoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooX**

Gaara showed up at Danielle's house the next afternoon. The girl immediately grabbed him by the hand and yanked him inside. Gaara stumbled along behind her as she pulled him up the stairs and into her room. She then shoved him into a chair and grinned at him.

"What was that for?!" he asked, slightly agitated. Danielle smirked and opened up her closet, taking out _Hernesto_. He gave her a weird look.

"I'm going to give you a quick cello lesson," she giggled. Gaara narrowed his eyes at her.

"Why?" She shrugged.

"I'm bored and I thought that this would be really interesting. Come on, just give it a try." The redhead sighed, staring at the wooden instrument.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt," he mumbled. Danielle grinned and placed the cello in between his legs. She leaned it against him slightly and helped him position his arm around the neck and body.

"Don't slump your arm against the neck," she scolded.

"Why not? It's easier to reach the strings."

"Not really. I guess you don't have to, but if you slump your arm, then you won't get a good vibrato."

"And a vibrato is….."

"Never mind," she sighed. "It's hard to explain."

Danielle stood behind him, leaning over his shoulder. She placed his fingers on the fattest string. Gaara's body began to tense as she began softly explaining things to him.

"This last string on the right is called the 'C' string," she began. She helped him place his index finger down on the string. She told him to pluck the string. When he did, there was a faint sound that rang from the instrument.

"That note is called 'D'. You can find it two other places." She had him remove his finger and told him to pluck the second string farthest to the left. He did and noticed that it sounded like the note he played before, only it was higher. She had him place all three fingers down on the last string and then had him pluck it. Once again, it was the same note, but even higher.

Danielle continued to show him different notes and taught him how to play a simple D major scale. They just stuck to plucking because Gaara didn't like how he sounded with the bow. As soon as he had pulled the bow across the string, an unpleasing screeching sound came from it, causing him to accidentally drop the bow. She told him that it wasn't that bad, but he knew that she was bluffing to make him feel better.

The two teens stayed at it for almost 2 hours. By then, they had gone over several different scales and a few simple songs. Gaara finally got up and handed the cello back to her.

"Play something," he told her.

"Like what?" she asked. The redhead shrugged.

"I don't know. Anything that comes to mind I guess." Danielle sat down and thought for a moment. Gaara sat down on her bed and watched as she fingered a bunch of notes silently, looking at the fingerboard with great intensity. She then got up, setting the cello down on its side, and walked over to the CD player. She flipped through a bunch of CDs before finding the one she was looking for. She popped it into the CD player and pressed the 'play' button. She then walked back over to her cello as violins began to play swift notes back and forth. As they played, she added a quick note. She dug into deeper notes, but still played them smoothly. Her fingers glided over the fingerboard, not staying in one spot for very long, especially as the song progressed. There were two cello solo parts that she really got into. She would get louder and then suddenly get softer. Her left hand would shake a little, which gave the notes a fluttery sound. There was this one part where she had her hands on the 'A' string and had her hands high up on the fingerboard.

When she finished, all Gaara could do was smirk.

"What?!" she asked, blushing slightly. Gaara shook his head.

"You're really good," he replied softly. Danielle smiled weakly and thanked him. "Since you taught me something, I'm going to teach you something." She raised an eyebrow at him in curiosity.

"And what would that be?"

"Do you want to go now?" he asked, taking out his car keys. Danielle grinned and nodded.

**XxooooooooxX**

Gaara took Danielle to a pottery place, dragging her into one of the classrooms in the back of the building. Gaara made her sit down at a pottery wheel and got her a chunk of clay. He showed her how to set the chunk of clay. He helped her open the clay up and shape it into a bowl. With his hands on top of hers, he guided them through the movements and spoke softly to her about what he was doing.

When they finished shaping it, they put it into the kiln and went to get dinner. When they came back, the bowl was baked and ready to be painted. Danielle painted it black with little light blue dots so that it would match her room. When the paint dried, she painted over that with a glaze to make it shiny. They put it back into the kiln and left.

"You had better take me back to get it tomorrow," Danielle told her friend as he drove her home. Gaara smirked and nodded.

"I will," he sighed.

* * *

**_Oh my goodness! It has been so long! I feel rather bad because I'm not as far ahead as I wanted to be. I kind of got distracted by another story idea and started writing a few chapters for that. Of course, I made sure that I wrote two chapters of this and planned out chapter 27. What makes me feel even worse is the fact that I got so many wonderful reviews! They were even longer than normal, which made me doubly happy! You guys have no idea how much that helped me._**

**_I apologize greatly to any cello players if I got something wrong. I'm a violin player myself, so it's a bit different. I literally had to draw the strings and label them, then put the fingered notes on each string. For those of you who don't know why it's kind of difficult to figure out the notes, a violin doesn't have a "C" string, but a cello does. That still may not make any sense, but I'm kind of rambling at this point. _**

**_I have to give a special thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter, because you guys are so awesome. You have no idea how greatful I am. So an extra special thanks to the following people:_**

**_Misfit band geek, Nikki Mustang, Yume Ninja, Readerfreak10, Dimly, Animestar001, NeferNeferi, Hakumei Namida, AddictedtoBleach, and Lyris88._**

**_You guys are so AWESOME! _**

**_Okay, so I'm going to start typing up chapter 27, and I will hopefully have that done soon. I'll post chapter 26 next Friday, but who knows. If I get the type of reviews I did last chapter, I might just post it early. 0.o _**

**_Thanks again! PLEASE REVIEW!!_**


	26. Pathetic

Kankurou and Gaara walked down one of the isles of Target, the older boy pushing a grocery cart in front of him.

"I can't believe Temari made me take you school supply shopping," he grumbled. Gaara just sighed and shook his head in disappointment.

"Maybe if you had already gotten your school supplies, she wouldn't have forced you to take me," he suggested. His older brother smirked and shook his head.

"Don't pay any attention to me. I'm just complaining. It's not really any trouble. You are my little brother after all." Gaara groaned as his brother pulled him into a bone crushing hug. He pulled away and took a few steps to the side. He stopped and picked up a thick binder for the AP Biology course that he was going to take. His brother thought he was crazy, but he really liked biology. Danielle was taking AP Chemistry, which was supposed to be just as hard, only in a different sense. She would have to memorize a bunch of formulas and do a lot of math problems. He would have to memorize a bunch of categories, descriptions, classification keys, and stuff like that. Naruto wasn't taking any AP courses, saying how it was too much work.

"So how's everything between you and Danielle?" Kankurou asked suddenly. Gaara stopped dead in his tracks and glared at his older brother.

"What's it to you?" he asked coldly.

"Well, I just thought that I would make sure everything was going alright. You know you can ask me about stuff in that genre, right?" The redhead sighed and nodded. "Good. Then start talking."

"I really don't want to," Gaara muttered, putting a few folders into the cart.

"Come on Gaara. I may not know you as well as I should, but I do know that this is the first relationship that you have ever been in. You can't seriously tell me that you don't have any questions." The redhead stared at the ground with blank eyes.

"Kankurou, I don't really want to discuss something like this in public." The older boy smirked and chuckled.

"Yeah….. I kind of forgot about that little aspect." Gaara sighed and shook his head again in disappointment.

After about an hour of school supply shopping, Kankurou proceeded to drive his brother home. On the way, they stopped by a park and took a short walk. They sat down on one of the wooden benches, staring off into space for a few minutes.

"Start talking little bro," Kankurou told him. Gaara sighed, slumping in his chair a bit.

"We kissed," he told him softly. A light blush painted Gaara's cheeks, making his older brother smirk.

"Really?" Gaara nodded.

"Only once though, and it could have gone better."

"It's okay Gaara," his brother assured him. "First kisses aren't really supposed to…"

"Naruto caused us to fall off the bridge immediately afterwards," he interrupted. Kankurou chuckled, patting his younger brother on the shoulder.

"Okay, I see what you mean."

"What do I do now?" Gaara asked, looking up at Kankurou with sad eyes. "I really like her, but I'm still not comfortable with a lot of things she is."

"What do you mean? Are you not comfortable with kissing or something?" The redhead blushed slightly and looked down at the ground in shame.

"Touching," he whispered. "Danielle is always making the first move. Isn't it supposed to be the other way around?" Kankurou frowned, thinking deeply about how to answer his brother's question.

"That's the stereotype on relationships I guess," he began, "but it doesn't always have to be that way. This is your first time."

"It's Danielle's first time too." The older boy sighed.

"Gaara, you and Danielle are two totally different people. She's more social than you are. Most females are more social than males, or at least that's what everyone says. She's just acting on her feelings. You don't have to do anything that you're not comfortable with."

"I know that, but I kind of want to. I want to know what it's like, but my insecurities are always getting in the way." Kankurou chuckled and Gaara glared at him.

"Then don't think about it. Just do it. That's all I can think of. Maybe start with small things, like putting an arm around her at the movies. Then you can work your way up to the more touchy feely stuff." The redhead sighed, climbing to his feet.

"I feel so stupid. I'm 17 years old and I need to ask my brother for advice." Kankurou laughed.

"It's not that bad! It could be worse."

"I guess," he grumbled.

**XoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooX**

It was Danielle's 18th birthday. Most people would see this as an exciting moment, but Danielle didn't. She thought of it like she thought of every birthday. It was almost like another normal day to her, only she just so happened to have been born 18 years ago on that day. That's all that it meant.

Gaara found out that it was her birthday and drew another picture that she could put on her wall. He drew a poster sized picture of a classic, medieval fire-breathing dragon. He used watercolor paint to give the picture some life. He painted jet-black and crimson red. He hated using watercolors, but he loved how it looked if you used it the right way. He had to start over several times before he got it the way he wanted it. Even then, there were some things he didn't like about it, but he was running low on paint. He didn't have much of a choice and it was the best out of all the others.

Gaara also took Danielle out to see a movie, which also gave him a reason to try and get closer to his black-haired friend. During the movie, he nervously draped an arm around her shoulders. Danielle was a little surprised at first, but didn't let him know. She knew that he was trying and was taking a rather big step out of his comfort zone. Smiling lightly to herself, she rested her head against his shoulder, which brought Gaara even more out of his comfort zone. She was aware of that, but he had started it. He would get used to it eventually.

Gaara wanted to get over his feelings of discomfort. He wanted to learn to like the sensation of touching. If it weren't for this fact, he would've pushed Danielle away. He would have made her get out of his little security bubble. He knew that if he did, though, he would never learn to like being touched, or touching someone else. He wanted to be with her. He wanted to learn more about this unfamiliar feeling called love.

* * *

**_Yay for you all! I decided to be nice and post this chapter up a day early. I know, I'm amazing. XD joking. Anyway, I've gotten chapter 27 typed up and I'll work on chapter 28 this week. If all goes according to plan I don't have anything major to do, then I'll post Next Wednesday. I'm hoping to start working soon, but that hopefully won't cut into my writing time too well._**

**_Also, on another note, I'm also posting another Gaara X OC story. It's not a pairing and it's not a Highschool fic, although it is AU. I would be absolutely ecstatic if you all would check it out. I don't want to give a giant summary about it, because that's what the prologue is for. Just check it out! _**

**_A special thanks to my everfaithful readers!_**

**_Lyris88, Dimly, NeferNeferi, Misfit band geek, Yume Ninja, Readerfreak10, Animestar001, and AddictedtoBleach._**

**_Thanks to silver0scorpion, whom reviewed for chapter 9._**

**_Thanks to all of those who favorited this story or added it to your alert list. I truly hope to receive a review from you all. That would make my day._**

**_Check out my other story. It's called "Save Me From Insanity". _**

**_PLEASE REVIEW!!_**


	27. Finally Seniors! and Gaara's Jealous?

Danielle was sitting in the high school office, waiting for the new kid to show up

Danielle was sitting in the high school office, waiting for the new kid to show up. She had to show up early because she had been appointed as a senior buddy for one of the new juniors. Neji was her senior buddy last year when she had been new. Now she got to be one.

Hinata was sitting quietly beside her, shuffling her feet in nervousness. She didn't need to be there, but she and Danielle carpooled. The Hyuuga female didn't mind coming in early. It gave her time to put all her things in her locker.

"What do you have for your first period class, Hinata?" She looked down at her schedule and smiled.

"AP Art History," she replied softly. "What about you?"

"I have AP Chemistry for my first and second period."

"You have to s-spend two whole bells with Orochimaru?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. Danielle sighed and nodded.

"He's actually not a bad teacher. The problem is that he's a really creepy person. I'm going to be afraid to ask for help after school, especially if I'm by myself. Who knows what he might try to do to me if we were alone." Hinata giggled and shook her head. "How do you think you're going to hold up with Gai? You have him for painting too, don't you?"

"Yes, and I like him. H-He just overreacts way t-too much." The black-haired girl laughed and nodded in agreement.

Just then, a young boy walked into the office with the principal. As soon as Danielle saw his face, her eyes lit up. Tsunade led him over to where she was sitting and smirked.

"Danielle, this is your junior buddy. Make sure that you show him around before school starts." With that said, she left the students and went into her office.

Danielle hopped up from her seat and threw her arms around the long-haired boy.

"I can't believe it's you, Haku!" she squealed with delight. "I'm so happy to see you again, and you're not dressed like a girl! You look really nice." The younger boy blushed at her comment and hugged her back. Haku was wearing a tight pair of dark blue jeans with a faded red, almost dark pink, shirt.

"It's nice to see you too, Danielle," he chuckled. The girl released her summer camp friend and grinned at him.

"This is Neji's cousin, Hinata," she introduced. "Hinata, this is Haku. He's a friend from the summer camp Neji and I went to." The Hyuuga female shook hands with the new boy and smiled sweetly. Danielle then grabbed him by the wrist and led him out of the room. She dragged him down the hallway, Haku stumbling behind her.

"I can't wait to introduce you to the rest of the gang! You're going to absolutely love it here!"

**XxooooxX**

Gaara was cleaning up his mess from painting. He thoroughly rinsed the brushes out and put them away. He finished cleaning up just as the lunch bell rang. He went to his locker and grabbed his lunch before heading for the cafeteria.

The redhead sat down at the table with Naruto, Sakura, Kiba, and Hinata. The blonde-haired knucklehead grinned at his best friend and watched as he took a seat next to him.

"How's you're first day turning out so far?" Naruto asked. Gaara shrugged as he opened his lunch and began eating.

"Alright I guess," he stated plainly.

Just then, Danielle skipped up to the table, dragging a boy with long hair behind her. Both teens were grinning broadly and had their arms linked. To say the least, Gaara wasn't very pleased about this.

"Everyone, I'd like you to meet Haku. He's my junior buddy and it's his first year here. Haku, these are my friends." She introduced them all and the two of them took a seat at the table. Danielle took a seat next to Gaara and Haku sat at her other side. The two of them laughed and joked with each other. They acted as if they had always been good friends.

When the bell to end lunch rang, Gaara was rather anxious to get away. He felt as if he were an outsider. Before he could get away though, his female friend had wrapped her arms around his upper torso. The redhead's body grew tense and his breaths shortened.

"How has your day been?" she asked softly.

"F-Fine," he whispered. Danielle smiled and released him, allowing him to turn around and face her.

"That's good." She touched the tips of her fingers to her lips before brushing his cheek with the same fingertips. The female smirked as a light blush appeared on his cheeks. "I'll talk to you later, ok?" Gaara nodded as she slowly walked towards class.

**XxooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooxX**

For the rest of the week, Gaara watched as Danielle and Haku grew closer to each other. He felt as if she was slowly slipping away from him. She seemed so happy and free around the younger boy. She wasn't able to be that way around him and he felt slightly guilty about that.

It was Friday night and Gaara had the house to himself. Naruto went bowling with Sakura and Sasuke and Iruka had to work that night. The redhead was sitting on the couch, reading the book that had been assigned for English.

Gaara marked his place after hearing someone knock on the door and went to go answer it. He was slightly surprised to see that it was Danielle.

"We need to talk," she told him flatly. Gaara could feel his heart skip a beat. He didn't really like the sound of it, but he nodded and allowed Danielle to come inside.

The two of them sat down on the couch. She was silent for a moment, making the redhead slightly uncomfortable.

"I may be wrong about this, but you're making me think that you're jealous of Haku and me. Why?" Gaara blushed slightly, looking away from her.

"It's not that I'm jealous. I just feel like you're slipping away from me." Danielle smiled and giggled, causing her friend to glare at her.

"You don't have to worry about Haku steeling me away from you. If you haven't already noticed, he's gay." Gaara raised an invisible eyebrow and Danielle nodded. "I don't think his boyfriend would be very happy about him cheating." Gaara stared down at the ground with shame.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. The female put a hand on his cheek, making him look back up at her just as she placed a quick kiss on his lips. He stared at her in shock, seeing her cheeks turn a light shade of red.

Without thinking, he reached out and cupped her cheek in his hand. He slowly leaned forward until their faces were about an inch away from each other. He then closed the distance, pressing his lips firmly against hers.

Danielle's heart soared and her eyelids slowly slid shut. She could tell that Gaara was new and was still in the process of learning. At least he was trying. That was all she could ask for. Besides, it wasn't like she was any more experienced with kissing than he was.

Gaara's hand slowly slid to the back of her head and Danielle's arm snaked around his neck. He pulled away for a moment, taking in a quick breath of air before the black-haired female pulled him back in. His heart was beating rapidly and his head was swimming with thoughts. There was a pleasurable sensation on his lips as they took in the warmth of his girlfriend's.

Danielle finally pulled away and rested her head on the crook of Gaara's neck. She smiled as she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her.

"You had better not be so modest anymore," she giggled. The redhead hugged her even tighter, nodding slightly.

"I'll do my best," he whispered back, sending chills down the female's spine. She slowly exhaled a shaky breath and cuddled against Gaara. She knew that she was going to have to leave soon, but she pushed those thoughts out of her head and enjoyed the moment.

_**Chapter 27 is up! Yay! Let's see. I have a lot of people to thank! Thanks to the following reviewers:**_

_**Readerfreak10, Lyris88, redwall-64(**__chapter 1__**), NeferNeferi, Yume Ninja, mittensx7768, Dimly, Angel Fate of the Desert, AddictedtoBleach, and The Only Love for Soujiro S...(**__chapter 4__**).**_

_**You people are amazing. You should give yourselves all a pat on the back! **_

_**Anyway, for those of you who haven't checked out my new story, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! Check it out! For those of you that like stories that make you want to hug Gaara to death, it's the story for you! It's called "Save Me From Insanity."**_

_**Alright, back on track. You will all get chapter 28 Tuesday July 1st, sometime during the evening. It's kind of short, but please bare with me. I'm doing my best. I've just been having a bit of difficulty writing this recently. I'm going to make sure that chapter 29 rocks though. Lol. **_

_**PLEASE REVIEW AND CHECK OUT "SAVE ME FROM INSANITY"!!**_


	28. Friendliness

Danielle was lying down on her stomach on her bed, reading a book in silence. Gaara was using her computer for a research project. He would've been using his own, but it hadn't been working properly lately.

He peered over at the female, seeing her kick her legs in the air behind her. Her head was propped up by one of her hands. Her eyes were glued to the book that was on the bed in front of her.

Gaara sighed to himself and saved his work to a disk. He stood up and took a seat on the edge of the bed next to Danielle. The black-haired girl smirked, pretending that she didn't notice him. Hesitant at first, Gaara began to gently rub her shoulders. He stopped when she suddenly sat up.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, blushing slightly. Danielle grinned and turned her back to him.

"You may continue," she giggled. Gaara gently placed his hands on her shoulders, moving his palms in a circular motion. He could feel the girl's body relax. He slowly worked his way down her back. After a few minutes, he smirked and ran his index finger up her spine. Danielle gasped and turned around to glare at him. He stared at her with innocent eyes.

"Didn't you say that I would find your peeves if I was more touchy-feely?" he asked smugly. The female smirked and tackled him to the bed. Gaara looked up at her with surprise. She giggled and planted a kiss on his lips just as the doorbell rang. She sighed and sat up.

"I guess I should get that," she sighed, getting to her feet.

"I'll go with you," Gaara told her. "I need to be going anyway."

The two of them walked down the steps together and to the front door. Danielle opened it and was surprised to find Haku standing nervously on the porch. He looked up at the two and blushed.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "If you two are busy, I can come back another time." He turned to leave but was caught by the arm.

"It's okay Haku," Danielle assured him. She looked up at Gaara and smiled. "Did you get your disc?" The redhead's eyes widened with shock and he quickly shook his head. "I'll bring it to class for you tomorrow, okay?" He sighed and nodded.

"Thanks for letting me use your computer." The female nodded and watched as he walked down the walkway.

Danielle invited Haku inside and the two of them sat down on the couch. The female grinned at her friend, but it quickly faded when she realized that something was wrong.

"Is everything alright Haku?" she asked with concern. The young boy closed his tear-filled eyes and shook his head. "Oh my gosh, what happened?" He looked down at the ground in embarrassment, his bottom lip quivering.

"M-My boyfriend… he broke up with me." Danielle frowned and wrapped her arms around her friend.

"I'm so sorry Haku." The long-haired boy pulled away from her, revealing the tears that were streaming down his face. She reached over, grabbed a tissue from the coffee table and handed it to her friend. Haku smiled weakly and thanked her.

"You know what?" she began. Haku looked up at her with quizzical eyes. "I'm going to make some mint hot chocolate. Would you like some?" He smiled and nodded. Danielle grinned and rushed to the kitchen.

About five minutes later, she came back in with two mugs of hot chocolate. She handed one to Haku and sat down beside him.

"So what happened?" she asked. The boy frowned and shook his head.

"He said that long distance relationships just aren't going to work."

"That really sucks." He nodded.

"I'm sorry about burdening you like this." Danielle shook her head.

"It's alright Haku. I don't mind. I know how some guys are." He chuckled and nodded again. "Don't worry. You'll find another one. I'm sure of it."

"I didn't think there were any guys like me at this school." Danielle giggled.

"Actually, Kiba was asking about your availability." Haku blushed and smiled.

"Thank you Danni." The female grinned and took a sip of her hot cocoa.

The two of them talked a little longer before Haku finally left. Danielle clambered up the stairs and went into her room. She put Gaara's disc into a case and slipped it into her purse. She quickly got dressed and slipped under the covers.

* * *

**_Hi all! I'm sorry about the update being super short and all. I was having trouble coming up with anything for this chapter. The next chapter will be a little longer and will leave you all in shock. Lol. At least I hope so._**

**_Yes, I made Kiba gay too. I don't know why; I guess I just felt like it suited him more._**

**_Look for the next chappie around Tuesday, maybe a bit earlier depending on the amount of reviews received._**

**_A special thanks to the following reviewers:_**

**_Readerfreak10, Nikki Mustang, Me and Gaara 4ever, NeferNeferi, AddictedtoBleach, lyw, Dimly and Yume Ninja._**

**_You guys are awesome!_**

**_I'm going to say it again. Please check out my other story, "Save Me From Insanity". It's going super well, I think you guys would like it._**

**_PLEASE REVIEW! THANKS!!_**


	29. Trouble Prt One

Danielle was walking through the park with Gaara, helping him collect leaves from different trees for his AP Biology class. Danielle would ask him what each tree was and tease him about having no life.

"No wonder I never see you anymore!" she laughed. "You spend too much time studying tree names." Gaara smirked at her.

"I'm sure you're no different when it comes to you studying the periodic table of elements."

"I come out more than you do. You're like a hibernating bear." Gaara gasped when she decided to suddenly jump onto his back.

"Are you trying to kill me?" he grumbled. Danielle giggled and nodded. He sighed and smirked as she kissed his neck. Gaara's breath caught in his chest when he suddenly saw someone that looked oddly familiar. He blinked a few times and found that the figure was gone.

_"I'm just seeing thing,"_ he told himself silently.

"Earth to Gaara; are you going brain dead or something?" The redhead was suddenly brought back to reality.

"Why are you still on my back?" Danielle giggled and kissed his neck again.

"Because I don't want to let you go," she whispered in his ear. A shiver went down his spine, causing him gasp slightly.

"Get off me." Giggling, the girl let go of him and stood next to him.

"Are we done yet?" she asked. Gaara sighed and nodded. "Then let's go!" She hooked an arm around the redhead's waist and walked down the sidewalk with him. Gaara snaked an arm around her as well, keeping her close to him.

**XxooooooooooooooooxX**

Gaara couldn't help but peer over his shoulder; once again, he was seeing the mysterious figure that had been following him around for over a week. Danielle tapped him on the shoulder and he quickly spun his head around to look at her. She grinned at him and giggled.

"Are you ready to go?" she asked with excitement in her voice. Gaara sighed and nodded. He gasped when she took him by the wrist and dragged him into the giant corn maze.

It was about six in the evening and it would be dark soon. The sky was painted with dark reds, pinks, oranges, and purples. Add that to the golden color of the corn field and one had a picture perfect scene.

The two teens walked through the corn maze, looking for the hidden mailboxes. After they found all the mailboxes and got the pieces of paper inside of them, they would be able to create a map of the maze.

Danielle and Gaara slowly walked through the maze. They occasionally took different paths so that they could cover more ground. Danielle walked down the dirt path, following the pink polka-dotted tape. She screamed loudly when someone suddenly jumped out and grabbed her by the waist. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Gaara smirking at her.

"Gaara!" she screeched. "You are such a jerk! If you do that again, I swear I'll kick your ass!" The redhead chuckled and released his grip on her torso. Danielle spun around and glared at her boyfriend. He pressed his forehead against hers. The female giggled, forgetting about her anger towards the redhead.

"You're lucky that I'm in a good mood today," she told him. Gaara nodded and planted a quick kiss on his girlfriend's cheek. She pulled away from him a moment later and continued down the path.

After wandering through the maze for several hours, the two teens finally gave up and found their way out of the maze. Gaara held his female companion close to him as they walked toward the car. Once again, a mysterious figure caught his eye. He did his best to ignore it, but he couldn't help but wonder if he was just seeing things. There was no way that he was really being stalked.

**XxooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooxX**

Danielle stared at Gaara as he entered the classroom. Her heart ached when he turned his back to her and sat down in a seat on the opposite side of the room. The redhead had been avoiding her for over a week. She couldn't even talk to him. Every time she tried to, he would just walk away from her. He wouldn't answer her phone calls, her texts, or her e-mails. Why would he just start avoiding her like that?

She had asked Naruto about the matter, but he didn't know anything about it. When he had asked Gaara about it himself, the redhead had shooed him away as well.

Danielle didn't understand it. Did he not love her anymore? Was there someone else that he cared about instead? If so, why wouldn't he just tell her so? She hated being left in the dark. It was so irritating.

_"I guess I'm going to have to try and talk to him again tonight at his house,"_ she silently told herself. _"I don't care if he wants to break up. I don't want to force him to stay with me if he doesn't want to. All I want is to know what the hell is going on. Does he even realize how much pain he is putting me through right now?"_

**XxooooooooooooooooooooooooooooxX**

Gaara sat on his bed, hugging his legs to his chest. The only sound that could be heard was the pitter-patter of the rain. The redhead had his blanket drawn around him, keeping him warm. He had been feeling rather depressed ever since he and Danielle had fought.

Gaara had been avoiding her for the past week. He could feel his heart take a blow every time he saw that hurt expression on Danielle's face. The truth was that he wanted to be with her. He loved her more than anything in the world and that was the reason why he couldn't see her anymore.

The redhead had nearly forgotten about his father. He hadn't thought that he would ever see him again. Even though he hadn't seen the man face to face, he had seen him in random places. It was like he was being stalked. He didn't tell anyone about it when it first started happening since he believed that it was just a figment of his imagination. However, a note that he had received told him otherwise.

_Gaara,_

_Cute doll you have there. Someone like you shouldn't be playing with such delicate things. If you really care about her, you won't be caught around her again anytime soon. It would be a shame if that porcelain figure somehow ended up getting broken._

There was no signature, but Gaara knew who it was from. His father knew exactly where to hit in order to make his life a living hell. He had worked so hard to make a relationship, and his father had to come and tear things down.

Just then, there was a knock on his door. He watched with wide eyes as it slowly opened and Danielle came in. Gaara lowered his head when he saw her enter the room. The girl ignored this and took a seat on the edge of his bed.

"Why have you been doing this to me, Gaara?" she asked with tear-filled eyes. Gaara dug his fingernails into his skin, still not making a sound. Why did she have to make this so hard for him? He didn't want to upset her, but he didn't want her to get hurt because of him either.

"Will you fucking talk to me?!" she snapped. Gaara jerked his head up, looking at her with surprise. "Why won't you fucking tell me anything? Didn't I mean anything to you, or was this all just a game?! Do you even realize how much you've been hurting me?! All I want is a simple reason as to why you've been avoiding me. Is that too much to fucking ask?!" He couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't stand seeing her in this much pain.

Sighing, he got up and walked over to his dresser. He dug through the top drawer and pulled out the note. He handed the piece of paper to Danielle as he sat back down on his bed. She quickly read it through and looked back up at him with confusion.

"What is this?" she asked, obviously irritated. Gaara sighed again, not really wanting to explain.

"It's a note that I received about a week ago," he started to explain. "It's a threat against you." Danielle narrowed her eyes at him.

"Why didn't you tell me about this before? Do you still not trust me?!" Gaara bit his bottom lip and shook his head.

"It's not that," he whispered.

"Then who the hell sent this?! Have you told anyone about this?"

"I can't say." Danielle knew immediately who it had been from.

"It was from your father." Gaara winced at the mention at it. "Why don't you report him?" He shook his head.

"I can't do that. I could never forgive myself if he ends up hurting you."

"I can't believe you're going to let him control you again. Are you going to let him do this for the rest of your life Gaara? If you really cared about me, you would've reported this to the police already."

"I'm sorry," he whispered. Danielle laid a gentle hand on his shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Please end this," she pleaded. "If not for yourself, then do it for me." Gaara looked at her with sad eyes before finally nodding.

"Will you get the phone from the kitchen for me?" he asked. Danielle nodded and silently left the room. He sat on his bed, waiting for Danielle to return.

After a few minutes had passed, he finally got up to see if she was alright. As soon as he was halfway across the room, his door flew open. Standing in the doorway were his father and Danielle. Gaara's eyes widened with fear when he saw that he was holding a gun to the female's head.

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**_Mwahaha! Cliffhanger! It has been quite a while since I have done one of these. _**

**_Special thanks to the following reviewers:_**

**_Readerfreak10, Me and Gaara 4ever, littleva, Yume Ninja, Dimly, and NeferNeferi._**

**_YOU GUYS ROCK!! And an even more special thanks to those of you who made your comments longer. I really really really appreciate that._**

**_I normally post every Tuesday, but I'm willing to post earlier since this is big cliffhanger. In order for me to do that, though, you all have to review!! It's really simple._**

**_PLEASE REVIEW!!_**


	30. Trouble Part Two

Danielle was trembling uncontrollably and tears were slowly trickling down her cheeks. Gaara felt a sharp pain in his heart. He felt as if he was going to be sick. How did he get into the house? Why wouldn't he just leave him alone?

"I thought I told you to get rid of this sorry excuse of a female," his father spat.

"I couldn't," he whispered. "P-Please...just leave her out of this. She didn't do anything. This is between the two of us." His father smirked maliciously and cackled dryly.

"I can't just let her go after going this far." Gaara bit his bottom lip, anger welling up inside of him. He winced as the man of his nightmares knocked Danielle out, letting her fall to the wooden floor with a loud thud. The gun was then pointed in his direction. He stood his ground as his father slowly approached him.

The man grinned wickedly as he stood directly in front of his son. He grabbed a fistful of the redhead's t-shirt, jerking the teen forward. Gaara grunted as the man's fist connected with his face. His father kept him from falling backwards, holding on to the teen's shirt firmly. Gaara got kneed in the stomach, causing his legs to give out beneath him. Still, his father kept him from falling to the floor. He received another blow to the face before being thrown against the wall.

Gaara weakly stared up at the man as he pointed the gun toward him again. The redhead was unfazed by this, however. He deserved whatever was coming for putting Danielle in harm's way. If he would've just called the police in the beginning, none of this would've been happening.

"I'll make sure you're really dead this time you little piece of shit," he growled, cocking the hammer back. Just when Gaara thought he was about to pull the trigger, he heard the sound of wood connecting with bone. His eyes widened with shock as his father fell forward, revealing an angry looking Naruto. The blonde was gripping onto a now broken wood broom handle. His deep blue eyes met with Gaara's, which calmed the redhead.

"Are you okay?" Naruto asked, tossing the broken piece of wood aside. He walked up to Gaara as he slowly nodded an affirmative. The blonde held out his hand, which his friend gratefully accepted. He was pulled to his feet and led away from the older man. Naruto went back over to the fallen man and pried the gun from his hands. He walked back over to Gaara and handed it to him.

"Stay here and check on Danielle. I'm going to call the cops. If he wakes up, use the gun to keep him here. We need to make sure the cops get him."

Gaara nodded and walked over to where Danielle was still lying unconscious. He set the gun down as he crouched beside her. The redhead carefully rolled the female onto her back and gently patted her cheek. She groaned as she slowly came to. Her eyes immediately filled with tears. He helped her sit up and tightly embraced her as she broke down crying. All the while, he periodically kept looking back to make sure his father wasn't up yet.

"It's all right," he whispered, kissing her forehead. "You're okay. He's not going to hurt you, I promise."

"W-What about you?" she asked, sniffling and raising her head to look at him. Gaara winced as she gently ran her fingertips over the places that his father had hit him. "You're going to get a nasty bruise," she told him solemnly. He sighed and nodded, looking back over at his father again.

Just then, Naruto came back into the room. "The police are on the way," he told them. "They want us out of the house." The two other teens nodded and got to their feet. They followed Naruto out of the house and stood on the sidewalk. Gaara still had his arms wrapped around Danielle and was hugging her tightly.

"I'm sorry about getting you involved like this," he whispered. The black haired female nodded, nestling her head against his chest.

"It's okay, Gaara," she sighed. "Just learn to use your head better." The teen chuckled and nodded again.

Naruto stared at the two, a look of disgust on his face. "I'm really glad that the two of you are back together and all but can you please save that stuff until later?" Danielle smirked at the blonde and continued to rest her head against Gaara's chest.

"What's wrong Naruto?" she asked innocently. "Did you want to get in on this?"

Naruto's eyes widened in shock and he immediately shook his head. "No thanks. I'm perfectly fine."

The black haired female giggled and nodded. "I thought so."

After the cops arrived and hauled Gaara's father off once again, the three teens answered a few questions before heading inside. They sat on the couch, looking at one another in silence.

"For once, I'm glad that you showed up Naruto," Danielle finally told him with a grin. Gaara nodded in agreement.

Naruto blushed and chuckled nervously. "I'm just glad that he didn't notice me, otherwise it probably wouldn't have gone so well."

"Thanks Naruto." The blonde nodded and grinned.

"Of course! There's no way that I'd let that bastard hurt you guys." Gaara smirked at his response. He knew that his friend meant those words, and he was glad to have a friend that cared as much as he did.

**XxoooooooooooooooooooooooxX**

A day had passed since the incident with Gaara's father. The young redhead was now sitting on his bed, staring blankly at his wall. He had spoken to his siblings earlier and had done his best to convince them that he was fine. Though, they were still coming up that weekend to check up on him. They knew that they didn't have to, but it would make them feel better to see their younger brother in person.

Gaara sighed to himself and lay back on his bed. He had two dark bruises on his face from where his father had hit him. His lower torso was also sore from being kneed. He had taken some painkillers, so it wasn't as bad as before, but it was still painful to touch.

The teen raised his head as someone entered his room. A young female hopped onto the bed, landing right beside him and causing him to bounce. He grimaced in pain from the sudden jerk. Danielle quickly apologized, placing a gentle hand on his stomach.

"I forgot that you were hurt there too," she told him softly. Gaara nodded, letting her know that it was all right. He closed his eyes as she traced the bruise on his cheek with her index finger. "He got you pretty good there, didn't he?" The redhead smirked.

"That was nothing," he sighed. "Compared to what I usually got from him, that was a mere love-tap." Danielle frowned at him, feeling rather sorry for her friend. She didn't understand why anyone had to go through that type of suffering. It just wasn't fair.

Danielle began to run her fingers through Gaara's blood-red locks. The teen sighed in relief, causing the female to smirk in amusement.

"You better not fall asleep on me," she warned him, giggling slightly. He smirked and slowly opened his eyes.

"I can't help it if I somehow accidentally fall asleep," he told her plainly.

"Yeah, I can't help pouring a bucket of cold water on you if you do." Gaara chuckled softly, taking her wrist in his hand.

"I wouldn't be surprised if you did. It's definitely something that you would do, although I would think that you would do it to Neji before you would do it to me."

"But Neji is away at college, so you got bumped up a space on my list."

"Oh how wonderful for me," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Danielle bent over him and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. "What did I do to get one of those?" he asked teasingly.

"We haven't kissed for close to a week, since you have been avoiding me up until yesterday." Gaara frowned and turned his head so that she couldn't see his face.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. His body grew tense when he felt Danielle's lips on his neck. He slowly turned his head and was greeted with another kiss on the lips. She placed a gentle hand on his cheek, being careful of the bruise, and deepened the kiss. Gaara kissed her back, remembering how much he had missed the feeling.

When Danielle finally pulled away, the redhead was left feeling slightly saddened. He slowly sat up and looked into Danielle's blue eyes.

"Why do you put up with me?" he asked in a hushed voice. The female traced his lips with her thumb, gazing into his sea-green eyes.

"Because I care about you too much to let little things get in the way," she explained.

"That wasn't little," he sighed.

"You're never going to do it again, right?" Gaara shook his head. "Then everything is good. As long as you learned your lesson, I don't mind." The redhead smirked and kissed the female on the lips.

"I don't deserve you," he whispered into her ear before kissing her again.

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**_Yay! Everything is better!!_**

**_Thanks to the following reviewers:_**

**_AddictedtoBleach, Misfit band geek, Me and Gaara 4ever, Dimly, TimeCougar, Yume Ninja, ReaderFreak10, Lyris88, Cuzisme, and NeferNeferi._**

**_Thanks a bunch!!_**

**_I might be awhile before I post the next chapter, since I haven't typed it up yet. Sadly, this story will also be coming to an end soon. I'm not sure how long, but the end is approaching._**

**_PLEASE REVIEW!!_**


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